Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
by EvaMawesome7
Summary: Arizona Robbins is the hot, chronically-single Pediatric Surgeon at SGMW hospital. What happens when she meets the beautiful, married to a man, very straight(?) Callie Torres? Why does the blonde make Callie feel this way? Would Arizona ever be able to deal with the lost, stranded, mess of Callie's seemingly perfect life?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating: ** T - M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Made for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Arizona's POV

Oh God… oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god… no… no, no, no, no! NO!

"Ally! Ally!"

I _cannot _have lost her on the first day! NO!

"Sweetie! Ally! Where are you!?" I scream like a mad woman pushing past the horde of parents and children and babies and unicorns for all I care.

She was here a second ago! I swear she was! Oh God! I'm never going to find her!

_Shut up Robbins, you're the world's best Pediatric Surgeon for God's sake! You heal tiny humans; you can easily hunt down ONE child!_

I knew I should have said _no! _What the hell was I thinking!? But Teddy brought out those "You know you owe me one" eyes and I couldn't say no… bet she'd love to know her precious little niece is probably lying in a ditch somewhere, or kidnapped by a psycho, or – or eaten by the Cookie Monster for all I know! _No, no negative thoughts Robbins._

Oh god, so many kids! I knew I hated Pre-school for a damn good reason, second only to – _high school._

Stupid Back to School party… I could be at the hospital right now – being the hot, shiny, amazingly awesome surgeon that I am, instead of foxhunting a frickin' ninja child in the – _I'm sure_ – most crowded school on the planet.

My eyes erratically move around their sockets as they scan the playground for the little blonde girl.

She was wearing a… umm… a – _dammit! _A it – I know it! A blue… or was it red? No, no… green! Positive, positive, positive, a green hoodie - affirmative…

Maybe it was pink…

_Fuck, I'm screwed._

It is hot, sunny, scorching… I'm sweating like a pig, hair matted to my forehead… a disgusting, disgusting mess – apparently I found _that _one day out of the century where the clouds part in Seattle to lose a tiny human… _lucky, lucky me._

She better be safe, Oh God, isn't this how that maniacal kidnapper takes kids? He – he, or was it a she? They find their prey in busy schools with irresponsible parents. I feel my heart rate begin to escalate.

And just like that, every newspaper clipping on hurt children begins to race through my mind – _hold it together woman! Stop panicking… deep breaths. That's right… inhale… exhale._

Just as I'm about to pull out my phone and call the S.W.A.T team down here, my eyes catch a little girl clad in a deep purple Dora: The Explorer sweatshirt deep in conversation with one of the cutest little brunettes in the sandbox – _I knew she was wearing purple…_

My lungs involuntarily push out the biggest breath of relief as I fasten my gait and practically jog to the sandy rectangle.

"Allison Victoria Eckhart!" my voice slips into that tone you _never_ want to hear from your parents – _the 'full name' tone._

"Ally!" I yell when I get no response from the girl.

"Yeah…?" she says off-handedly, barely turning around to meet my gaze, never once leaving her _apparently _new best friend's conversation.

"Allison, get out here _right_ now!" I pant slash yell. The girl knows better than to question me now, so she readily obliges as she jumps out of the thumb-deep sand and wraps herself around my knees – _uh-uh, the cute-lil'-girl thing is not going to work right now…_

"Aunty Zona! Look! I made a new friend! Allegra is –"she begins that adorable little drawl but I'm in adult mode right now.

"Ally –"I interrupt sternly "- what did we say about not letting go of my hand." It's hardly a question.

She drops her innocent little gaze and sticks out her bottom lip to form _the_ most dangerously adorable pout known to man.

"Sweetie…" my tone immediately softens and the girl's expression changes in a flash as she clings on to my legs again – _wha-? Did she just play me? Evil…_

Before I have a chance to respond, she starts talking,

"Look! Allegra! She's new and – and I – look!" she pulls a bright orange wrapper out of her little pocket and shoves it in my hand, "Reese's Peanut butter cups! She gave me!" Ally shrieks in a pitch only comprehensible to dogs, eyes shining like Christmas morning.

"Oooh… kay'" I don't really know how to respond. As my pulse returns to normal, I'm suddenly aware of my surroundings _and… _my rudeness…

I gently pull Ally away from my embrace as I step towards the sandbox and kneel down so I'm sitting on my knees.

"Hey…" I run my hand through my blonde hair and stick the other one out as an invite for a handshake to the uh-dorable little brunette watching me with the most curious gaze. I pull out my best 'Dr. Arizona Robbins – _best_ – damn - tiny human doctor – ever' dimpled smile.

The girl takes my hand in her's and reflects my expression.

"I'm Allegra! I'm 5 years old –"she says spreading her fingers in a high-five stance "- you're really pretty! What's your name?" she sings in the cutest voice all in one breath.

"Well that is _very _sweet Allegra… a very pretty name for a very pretty girl –" I smile, " – I'm Arizona."

The girl's polite, seasoned smile turns into the most innocent chuckle, "Arrrii –zona…" she enunciates, "- that's really funny!"

My smile turns wider as I shake my head in affirmation, "It is, isn't it?"

"Allegra! That is _not _how we speak with people. Say sorry to Arizona." My entire body for some reason responds to that voice in the strangest way as my eyes subconsciously search to where it came from.

My gaze moves from the – now sulking little girl - to the side to where my gape seems to have latched on to.

Clad in jet black, red soled Jimmy Choo's are a pair of I think _the_ most beautiful legs to ever roam this Earth – or galaxy. My eyes scan the figure, literally from toe to – _dammit _– I can't see, I raise my head and squint but the sun is blinding. The owner of those unreal legs merges into the supernova-esque rays of the sun. All I can make out is the bottom of a black pencil skirt tapering off at her knees.

I stand up so I'm face-to-face with the said owner of the said legs.

_Oh. My. God._

"I'm so sorry about that…" the – I don't know _what _she is yet – says with a sheepish smile, "… I think Arizona's a beautiful name…"

_Speak Robbins speak! Words – make words… anything!_

"You too…" _what!?_

I'm met with an amused look as she raises her eyebrows– _yup she thinks I'm a lunatic… I think so too…_

"I – "I shake my head, "- what I meant is –" I laugh - _what!? Why are you laughing you moron!?_

I take a deep breath in and start again, "What I meant was… It's perfectly fine… she's adorable." _Yeah, real genius…_

The – wet dream, goddess, sex in heels _what is she!? _– sticks out her hand and smiles…

That smile… _okay you can call time of death now_.

"I'm Callie – Callie Torres."

I can't help but mirror that smile.

I try to breathe through whatever the hell this woman is doing to me and meet her waiting hand –_ oh the places I'd want that hand to go… _enough Arizona.

Ok, so if the sight of her didn't succeed to send me into tachycardia, her touch certainly did; my pupils can't help but memorize _every _inch of the woman before me.

Those dark brown waves cascade down a little below her shoulders, laying leisurely halfway up the steep – _very steep_ – rise of her breasts; breasts _loosely_ wrapped in a dark burgundy, mega-sleeved, chiffon blouse… the Bordeaux shade playing off _very _nicely with her honey colored skin. That sinful blouse flows along her valiant curves disappearing into a jet-black high-waist pencil skirt revealing the _most _unreal silhouette known to man, or woman, or Marylyn Monroe…

Her face is… it's indescribable. Those full claret lips, that radiant tan skin, those abysmal, miraculous eyes that speak more than life…

_Callie Torres… you are a sight for sore eyes…_

I don't know how long it's been that I'm holding her hand drowning in those bottomless eyes - seconds, months, aeons… until I feel the cold stone at the top of my middle finger, the sudden contrast of temperature jolts me back into reality and my eyes rip away from those brown ones to the hand I'm still shaking and there it is – the platinum band – wrapped snugly around her ring finger adorned by a _very _large, expensive diamond.

"Mommy! Daddy's here!" the squealing of a one _very _excited Allegra snaps me back into reality; the little girl goes sprinting across the green playground to a man – a _very handsome _man, I might add –getting out of a black BMW.

I feel my heart drop to my feet – _what the fuck Arizona? You met her half a second ago, let go of that hand._

And so I do… I let go of her hand… I can feel my palms sweat.

God! I'm hot! Women line up for ME! I can get anyone I want! Why am I so nervous!? I'm Arizona Frickin' Robbins for God's sake! I've had _every _nurse in that damned hospital! I don't need to be drooling over a straight woman – no matter how hot she is… it's painful, pointless and just plain pathetic.

With that rant of a self-pep talk, I straighten myself up and run my fingers through my hair as I plaster that smile years of being a Pediatric Surgeon has taught me, across my face. Callie breaks our gaze as she briefly turns around to look at her daughter. I follow her glance and am met with a sight out of some picture postcard. The attractive, James Bond-esque man clad in a designer suit is approaching us, carrying his adorable little daughter in his big, strong, manly arms – _Uhgg – _who is giggling in her Daddy's ear. His gaze is fixated on where mine is, to the hot _hot_, now slightly flustered woman standing across from me. She smiles that million dollar smile as he comes near us, gently putting his daughter down on the grass as he pulls Callie into a light hug… I can't focus… all I see is his hand slipping across the bold curve of her waist, his mouth brushing those red lips.

I _did not_ need to see that.

"You look beautiful – as always…" he whispers into her ear. _I agree, doesn't change the fact that I hate his guts though…_

She returns his compliment with a wider smile and turns back to me.

"This – umm… this is my husband – Julian Brady…" turning to her _husband_, "… and this -"she looks at me," – this is Arizona Robbins."

I shake the man's waiting hand, and offer a polite smile, mirroring his own.

"Hello Arizona…" he greets me with a polite nod, "is that beautiful young lady your daughter?" he says, shifting his gaze to a much excluded Allison attempting to make a sand castle with Allegra.

"Oh, no, no –" I offer a bigger smile, "- that's Allison, she's my best friend's niece… she couldn't make it today so I was babysitting." Callie seems intrigued – for the lack of a better word.

"Ahh… I see… she's adorable. Well we'd love to stay and chat but – Callie – we have that charity dinner tonight, so we should get going." He looks at his wife; his wife, who I might add, seems disappointed – and mind you, that's not just the wishful thinking talking.

Callie steps out of her husband's hand across her waist and proceeds towards me,

"Go ahead honey, I'll be right there…" she says to the waiting man who begins walking towards his car.

"It was really nice meeting you… Arizona-"she smiles "- I'd - I hope we meet again, umm… are you here? On the playground, often?" She laughs shakily.

_Is she nervous?_

"Not really, not at all actually… but… I hope I see you again…" I don't really want to see her again, I _want _to but I don't… I don't want to see the _very _straight woman who makes my knees weak and my heart pace like no gay woman does.

Before she can respond, her husband's prompting double honk interrupts us. She lets out an animated sigh of frustration as she urges her daughter to say her goodbyes to Allison; the girls say their "aww, already"s and bye-bye's and TTYL's while Callie and I hurry them along.

Allegra grabs her mommy's hand and tugs on it signaling she's ready. Callie bends down to pick her daughter up; offering me very nice view of her cleavage… my breath hitches but luckily she doesn't notice.

_Stop drooling._

"Bye Arizona…" she says with an _almost _suggestive smile.

"Bye!" I muster up all my perkiness as she turns around and begins to walk away; my eyes unwilling to rip away from her swaying hips – _God, is she for real -_ when she unexpectedly spins around and catches my gawk – I feel embarrassment paint my face red,

"Arizona!" she says from across the field with a slight chuckle.

I just raise my eyebrows as a response.

"You owe me one…" she winks; _did the hot straight woman just wink at me?_

A confused knitting of the eyebrows is my answer.

She keeps walking backward, facing me, holding my gaze, and proceeds with the sexiest chortle,

"A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup…" she says playfully.

"That… I do." I offer my _best _dimpled smile as my heart practically jumps out of my chest.

With that, she disappears into the crowd.

_Oh how I would love for you to eat my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups…_

* * *

**A/N: ****Honestly, I saw a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial and just really am craving them right now (only the candy, mind you) – somehow that culminated into a Calzona fanfiction… Let me know what you guys think… hope you guys review!**

**PS:**** I will be continuing Just Give Me A Reason… just taking a small break, I am still very much into it – will probably update that one next week.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Title:** Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating:** T - M

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Made for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **Okay, so first of all, thank you SO SO much for the reviews – they really mean A LOT to me. To answer a couple of question, no, this FF is in no way related to the post S9 stuff, although yes, believe you me, just the thought made me want to make AZ choke on her candy… but anyways, let's get to that later. I honestly think Calzona, despite all the crap going on right now, are one of the very few TV couples _really _connected on all levels, they've got the chemistry, physical and emotional which very few actors or characters do. So, I'm going to choose to believe that they will get through this. _Anyways_, back to the FF, this chapter is a little bit more serious than the last one, but the story called for it. Hope you guys like it… let me know!

* * *

Callie's POV

Another charity dinner… another night of fake smiles and obnoxious blue blooded robots… another night of dressing up and stripping down… another night of my husband…

I let out a tired sigh as I sit on the vintage, champagne leather seats of a very fancy car, dressed up in a black sheath cocktail dress which could give a blind man an erection, _if I do say so myself _– the animated exhalation doesn't go unnoticed by my husband's _very_ attentive ear.

"Did you say something dear?" another diplomatic way of saying _'Why are you making annoying noises, shut the fuck up and keep your shit to yourself… I'm busy'_

"Nope… nothing." I respond with a tight smile as I focus my gaze out the tinted window.

"So, Allegra. Sweetie… how was your first day of school? You like Seattle so far?" I can't help but smile at how genuinely soft his tone is with his daughter.

This question seems to add the drop of caffeine to her apparent sugar rush and the car is instantly exploding with a painfully high-pitched drawl that only a five year old can pull off,

"O.M.G Daddy! You have no idea how awesome it was! Mrs. Mayo, my music teacher said I was _the _bestestestestest in the WHOLE class!" she begins dynamically.

"Allegra, it's not good to brag sweetie… you know that." he gently reprimands her.

Allegra folds her arms across her chest with an animated huff and frown,

"Mommy says it's not bragging if it's true!" she whines, "She told me she was a rock star with a scallop!" her pitch somehow escalating.

To which, my husband meets my amused gaze in the rear view mirror and I just shrug nonchalantly before we both burst into a fit of laughter – along with the chauffeur,

"Allegra! Honey, I said _scalpel_ –"enunciating the last word, "not – not scallop." I say between gasping laughter – _sometimes, she is literally the only thing keeping me sane… I love her so much._

The little girl is not _at all_ pleased with the fun made at her expense,

"Anyways!" she tries to regain our dwindling responsiveness, "My day was awesome! I made a new friend too… Allison!"

_This_, for some reason, catches my attention.

"Oh… did you like her?" I ask, trying to keep the absurd interest out of my voice.

"I love her! She loves Toy Story 2 more than Toy Story 1 too!" she shrieks like she just found the four-leaf clover.

"Honey… indoor voices…" I say off handedly as I raise my eyebrows for her to continue.

"Plus she LOVES Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!"

And there it is… **_that _**strange feeling again. I can't help but suppress a smile…

"Honey, you okay?" my husband whispers in my ear, trying to get his voice across my daughter's ginormous lungs.

"Ye – yeah, yeah yup! Why?" _Okay… I could have been a little bit smoother…_

"Umm…" he furrows his eyebrows, "You're all flushed – hold on –"he bends forward to the chauffeur but I don't hear anything beyond something about the air conditioning.

_What the hell does he mean I'm flushed!? My eyes snap to the side mirror… wha-!? _

Allegra's next sentence does absolutely _nothing _to soothe my '_allergies' _yup, that's what it is! My allergies acting up again…

"And – and Mommy! Daddy, listen! She likes Cinderella more than Sleeping Beauty too!" pitch escalating unforeseen frequencies, eyes as wide as the full moon, "Plus! Her Aunty Arriiii-zona is SO super pretty! She looks just like Cinderella!"

I just shift uncomfortably in my seat as my husband chuckles lightheartedly – partially submerged in his Blackberry.

"Right Mommy!?"

"Hmm…" I really don't want to answer for some reason.

"Mommy!?" _Okay, I think my ear drums just shattered a little…_

"What!?" I raise my voice, irritated; my mind just seems to be a little bit preoccupied right now.

"Isn't she?! Arriiii-zona! Isn't she!?" she continues unaffected, my aggravated tone seems to have done nothing to calm her down.

"Isn't she… _what_?" my harsh voice surprisingly softens into one of genuine curiosity.

"As pretty as Cinderella." she almost deadpans as though it was the most obvious answer – _oh, how silly of me._

"Umm…" an absurd nervous chuckle escapes my mouth, inducing a questioning look from my husband, "I – well I didn't really notice honey…" _Lie._

"But Mom –" Allegra starts again before my husband unknowingly interrupts her; nose still buried deep in the smartphone held in his other hand,

"Callie – when will you be leaving tomorrow?"

Saved by the bell_ – or husband… same difference._

"At around 9 A.M. but that's just for tomorrow, I'll - you know? Talk to the chief and then figure out my schedule from then on I guess…" I answer formally.

_At least_ the thought of tomorrow makes me eager… I'll be in _my _element, _not _his.

"Hmm…" he knits his eyebrows in concentration as his fingers dramatically swipe across the glowing screen, "– I just have to…" he trails off, "umm… my schedule."

With a final click and ping noise, his head darts up to meet my gaze.

"You excited? For tomorrow…" he asks with a smile, almost meeting my eyes.

"Yeah…" I ponder the question for a second before mirroring his expression, "I really am."

I changed, my world changed, _everything _I knew and loved changed - but when my hands drill into a mandible, or reduce a dislocated hip, or _feel _bone grind against bone… I can almost recognize myself. In those navy scrubs and white lab coat, _I _am in control – I can breathe _when_ I want and stop _when_ I want… so yes it's safe to say I'm _excited _for tomorrow.

The car somehow falls into a comfortable silence… well as comfortable as we can ever be…

Allegra is softly – _yes, softly _– whispering to her stuffed bunny, while my gaze is fixated out the window, to the dark road lined with tall Oak trees passing by like a bad movie. The only other noise is my husband's fingers working against his very attention seeking phone – _Uhgg… so annoying… I wanna' grab that thing and shove it down his throat._

After another few – minutes, seconds, whatever's– of silent contemplation, the drastic change of crunching gravel underneath us arouses me from my blank reverie.

"Ready when you are Mr. Brady…" the raspy, tranquil voice of the chauffeur sounds through the car as the vehicle settles in front of the ginormous mahogany double doors rounding the naked- little-boy-in-his-naked-mother's-arms water fountain at the center of the extravagant expanse of the luxurious property.

We are surrounded by hundreds of exclusive cars and exclusive people, picture portraits of flawless families, symmetrical smiles and polished laughs, polite handshakes and spangled happiness… but I see through it - I see the dead, empty, desperate loneliness at the core of it all… _because I see through me too…_

My _perfect_ husband shifts in his seat to look at me, his smile _as perfect_ as ever – I mirror it, of course.

"I love you, darling." he says _perfectly_.

"I love you too…" _Reflex._

With that, I peck his lips just the way six years of marriage has taught me… _what can I say, I'm pretty darn perfect too._

Just like that – our _perfect _little family steps out of the car for another _perfect _night with _perfect _people…

_Perfect._

#

* * *

The pure white marble as flooring and the sparkling glass dome for a ceiling of the not-so-aptly-named White Beaches country club was _actually _impressive – at least, it would have been if I hadn't grown up in a place very similar to this one.

But even I have to admit, the twinkling crystal chandelier at the center of the indefinite ceiling did actually catch my attention, it was _very _pretty.

The music – _violin _– tasteful, sublime, _painfully _boring.

The dance – _ballroom_ – classy, sophisticated, _mind-numbingly _tedious.

The conversation – _business for men and low-IQ crap for women_– refined, controlled and _just plain stupid._

Coming to think of it, _very_ similar to my personal life.

The food – _well can't complain there… _although I'm _really aching _for some candy right now, candy preferably wrapped in _orange_.

I down my third – or hundred and nineteenth glass of the best Pinot Noir in a very un-classy manner, the too-slowly arising buzz making me oblivious to the judgmental glances directed toward me.

Faux pleasantries – _check._

Pretentious au d'oeuvres – _check._

_ Charity _dinner – _check._

Now the night is almost over, at least I hope it is. The dull conversation has dulled further and everyone's will to pretend that this is the _funnest _party ever has dampened.

I sit at the round, silk cloth clad table, finger running across the rim of my almost empty wine glass – staring impatiently at the cloud of cigar smoke across the room where I can make out the faint outline of my husband surrounded by many, many equally pompous men probably absorbed in likewise pompous conversation.

I can't help but scan the room with my occasionally judgmental eye. God, all the men look so dreary… _wonder how their hands have the strength to hold their cigars up when they have wives like these in the bedroom…_

I mean seriously, okay the women have beautiful dresses and all, I admit it; but the fact that they do _nothing _for their pasty, bland figure is a whole different point.

The same old measured, thin-lipped smiles and frozen into place, unswaying hips… their insipid hairdo's doing nothing for them.

Not like Arizona's glistening, blonde curls – _whoa, where the hell did that come from…?_

No, no coming to think of it, Arizona was everything these women should be! In fact, she was everything _any _woman should be… _not in a weird way or anything_… just… I mean, of course you can't control if you have dimples or not, or if your eyes are the most brightest of blue or not – but you can certainly make sure you laugh that way! And that your skin shines that way, or - or that you smell like Vanilla Citrus…

_Oooookayyyy' Callie… easy on that wine…_

"He's beautiful isn't he?"

The voice jolts me back into reality, I turn to where it came from.

Turning to my left, I see a _very _unfitting woman slide into the seat beside me. By unfitting, I mean beautiful, colorful and sexy. If the voluminous red hair wasn't enough, the grey green eyes and emerald green dress covering her ample cleavage certainly is… but her eyes, I don't know, there's something off about them – she's pretty, no doubt, but with a hint of slut. _Not judging._

"Umm…" my eyebrows spike to my hairline in confusion as to what the hell she's talking about.

She looks at me and smiles suggestively, sticking out her hand as an invite,

"I'm Annabelle Rosenberg…" _wow, I can almost see the synthetic veneer on her teeth._

"Umm… Callie Torres." I shake her waiting hand; still confused.

With a slight nod, she gestures towards where my sight apparently was, to my _perfect _husband,

"Julian Brady… the _third." _she hisses the last part – _da' fuck?_

When I give no response, she continues,

"I noticed you looking at him… "She looks around as if to check if anyone's listening, then bends closer, "… sexy as hell isn't he?" she whispers the last part – _clearly, unaware of the fact that she's talking to his wife._

I just chuckle in response, my husband is good-looking by any standard… but I stopped finding him, and I quote '_sexy as hell' _a long time ago.

"I'll let you in on a secret…" I can see the mischievous glint in her eye; it's making me uncomfortable now, "… he's even better than he looks in the sack."

I feel my mouth go dry – _did I hear her right?_

"Wh – what?" I want to take a sip of the drink in my hand, I want to, because I can't feel my throat anymore… but my body is unwilling to move.

The woman knits her eyebrows in confusion,

"In bed, I mean in bed…" she enunciates as if she's spelling it out to a toddler, "Like… _sex? _A good _fuck?_ A –"

"Yeah… yeah I –" I shake my head, "- I know what you mean."

I take a deep breath in and swallow to try and make words, "I mean… when? When did you…" I trail off… not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Oh." Her tone perks up, "Last… " she furrows her eyebrows as if intent in thought. I just stare at her… I'm _very _familiar to this feeling.

"Last month… at this conference in Bora Bora – I mean _WOW_ –" she amplifies her eyes suggestively, "But I hear he's married… wanna' murder that lucky bitch who landed him…" she says with a slight sneer, "I mean, he's hot, rich as fuck, hung like horse and funner than the rodeo…" I can feel the wine begin to makea reappearance at the woman's crassness.

She shakes her head to herself, never once taking her eyes off of Julian Brady '_the third'_ and repeats under her breath, "Lucky, lucky bitch…"

_Oh you have no idea…_

I knew this was coming, I mean I _know_ my husband isn't as faithful to me as he is to his Blackberry – but you tend to be a little caught off guard when the woman your husband is apparently _fucking _comes up to you and marvels at his ability to make her scream. I know he's stressed out… but sometimes… I just…

I don't really hear her anymore, may it be the wine taking effect or the emptiness that hits me again, but I'm numb. I look to the balcony and see my daughter laughing at the kids' table… that's enough to remind why I do this, _why _it's okay to be hurt and unhappy – because as bad as he makes me feel, Allegra can compensate for it all in one smile, she _needs _this, she needs her parents, I _will not _take that away from her.

My next glance for some reason is back to the cloudy puff of smoke, I can feel the anger threaten to spill out of my eyes – _I hope he suffocates to death._

He briefly turns his gaze to look at me, and _there _it is… the flash… of fear, pain and anger blaze across his eyes when he sees his wife in conversation with _one of _his mistresses. We lock our gazes – one meet of the eyes is like a conversation in itself.

Sometimes I feel caged, trapped, stranded… and I don't know how to get out.

_I really, really want to cry right now…_

Just like that, the night finally comes to an end. My emotions are running wild – but somehow trapped in my practiced façade.

We say our goodbye's and listen to our share of 'welcome to Seattle's as we head towards the door, it's surprisingly chilly now.

My husband avoids eye contact – _wonder why…_

I put my arm through his as we walk out the double doors, Allegra in his arms – _perfect_, as always.

My eyes lock with green ones.

A flash of recognition across her face quickly replaced with her smug sneer – _Annabelle Rosenberg… behold, the lucky bitch._

* * *

The atmosphere in the car-ride back is freezing – like drowning in the Titanic and dying of hypothermia freezing.

Pin drop silence… _a stark opposite to the previous ride._

Allegra is aware, subconsciously or consciously, I don't know – but she's aware… she was raised to be aware… aware of the Cold Wars at home, aware of her Mom holding in tears, aware of the screaming, aware of the racking sobs in the middle of the night… yes she was raised to be aware… to be aware and to keep secrets…

I didn't want to raise her this way… I don't want her to be guarded… I want her to be the way a child should be, to laugh and to cry when she wants, to ask what she wants to ask without being afraid of the answer…

I want her to love with all her heart, to care with every breath, and to fight until death.

I want her to be the way I was – _once upon a time…_

In another world, I would have fought.

_Cheating? _

I would not have tolerated it for a second, I would have walked out and made a better life for myself because I _know_… I _know _I deserve better…

_Woulda' Coulda' Shoulda'_

_In another world…_

Our eyes lock in the rear-view mirror and I try with all my strength to keep that stinging, burning water quickly brimming my eyes from falling…

I let out a shaky breath and there it is… a tear – _dammit_ – it slips.

I can see the guilty sorrow in his eyes as he silently slips closer to me… _away from the eyes of the chauffeur_.

My gaze is focused on the tinted window.

"I don't like it when you cry…" he says softly, squeezing my hand with all the love he can muster...

_His apology._

* * *

The house is empty, dark, cold and lonely – but you really have to _look _to see it.

I'm not saying it's a bad house; it's actually pretty damn fantastic. The Macassar Ebony milled into hardwood flooring, the earthy contrast between brick, glass and Fine Paints of Europe lining the walls, the enameled lava countertops, the Murano glass chandelier, the Rosewood cabinets, the La Cornue Grand Palais cooking range, the black Onyx bathroom tiles lining the Baldi Malachite Bathtub – _in all of the five Baths _– double the number of rooms than people… and one more. Who am I kidding, the house is a frickin' mansion.

_All I'm saying is that you'd really have to look._

And as we walked in today, you suddenly didn't have to look _that _closely. One glance and you'd see that my eyes were red, my husbands were guilty and my five year old daughters were… _aware._

My husband hides out in his den – _as usual._

I help Allegra brush her teeth and put on her baby blue pajamas, in total silence.

I change into my nightgown, wipe away the makeup and finish my night beauty regime in the dim golden hue of the bedroom floor lamps, I remind myself to breathe – _as usual._

It's one of those nights… I'm sad. I want to cry.

Maybe tomorrow will be different; at least I'd be able to be me… _me_, Dr. Callie Torres, Ortho.

As I tie my hair up in a tight bun, _that _one faint thought encourages my heart to keep beating, my daughter. I have to go tuck her in.

I walk through the long corridor in the yellow light emanating from the wall lamps as I enter the last room on the left.

I walk in and my heart flutters with love at the sight before me, I can feel the wave of emotions settle at the back of my throat as I watch my five year old daughter curled up under her Scooby Doo comforter.

"Mommy… hey…" she almost whispers with a sleepy grin.

I can't say anything, because I know that if I open my mouth – it opens _all _the floodgates. I try to ignore the painful burning behind my eyelids.

_My world is gone, but I can make sure she's protected, that she's happy, that she's loved._

I walk towards the bed, slipper-clad feet grazing the Sienna Faded Rose Wool rug rounding her bed.

"Hey…" I say under my breath as I slip under the soft covers.

My daughter instinctively wraps herself around my midsection, burrowing her head in my chest; the soft, buttery light from the table lamp providing an ethereal glow to the room.

The tight hold across my neck tells me she feels it too… _lonely_… I don't ever want her to feel this way.

"Mommy?" she whispers against my neck.

"Hmm?"

"Bedtime story?"

"Ye – yeah baby… of course…" _she sounds so innocent, _"what do you wanna' listen to?" I ask, sitting up to reach the stack of vibrant hardcover books on the side table.

"Umm…" she ponders, "Goodnight Moon or Cinderella!" her tone perking up a little.

I grab the two books and settle back in place, one arm securely around my daughter who's resting her head against my chest; my back against the fluffy backboard of the bed.

"Which one?" I ask.

"You pick…" she scrunches up her face casually.

"Hmm…" I take a deep breath in and pick up the shiny book lined with white glitter,

"Cinderella it is…"

_And there it is, __**that **__strange feeling again. I can't help but suppress a smile…_

* * *

**A/N: ****__**So, you guys like Cinderella? ;) Let me know what you thought...


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating: **T - M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Made for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **Again, guys, thank you SO extremely much for all the reviews, they really keep me going and are SUPER encouraging. I'd love to hear the stuff you guys liked and didn't like so I can try my best to incorporate it in the following chapters. This one is a little bit longer than the other ones… I hope you guys don't mind J But, to me, here is where the 'Calzona' dynamic can truly be shown from. Hope you all enjoy :D

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Arizona's POV

My lungs burn. My muscles scald. My clothes drench.

But I keep going.

I _will_ my feet to move, to push, to run… faster; because this is where the _real _stuff begins. When your respiratory system grasps for every molecule of oxygen and your skin glistens with perspiration.

I love it… this feeling.

It is humid, _dangerously _humid. The warning kind… the kind of tropical it only gets in Seattle when the Earth is trying to prepare you for a thunderstorm… a _bad _one – the transition from August to October kind of storm.

The sultry atmosphere only helps in plastering the hot pink t-back tighter onto my wet skin; my very short running shorts help in keeping my legs cool; the carelessly tossed ponytail damp with moisture.

I love jogging, early mornings, late nights… I _love _jogging.

It helps clear my head.

When I run, all I think about is breathing in and out… about putting one foot ahead of the other.

_Not today._

Today… all I can think about is yesterday, in fact, yesterday, all I could think about was yesterday; all day, all night.

I don't know what it was about her. Yes, she was beautiful – like earth shatteringly, sinfully, breathtakingly _beautiful_.

But that's not all.

She was…

_Soulful_.

Yes, that's the word… when you looked at her, you _saw_.

You _saw _her smile, you _saw _her eyes, you _saw __**her**_.

And so I did. I _saw _her all day yesterday. Right from when my hands were inside the 7 year old Gastric Diverticulitis patient to when they were inside '_what's her face' _I met at Joe's…

I saw her. In my head. Like a crazy person – and I need to stop, so I'm jogging, at 5 A.M. – _like a crazy person._

But it's not helping; I can't stop thinking about her, which is a whole new level of crazy because I met her for like half a second and I'm _never ever _even going to see her _ever, ever _again!

_Uhgg… you are being one of 'thoseee' women, the ones __**you**__ stay away from, so shut up and snap out of it!_

It's okay, it's okay… it's just a phase… I take a deep breath in to calm my knotted stomach and turn back around to head home. Nothing can help take my mind off of things like a day of healing sick, dying tiny humans, and that is _exactly _what I'm going to do today.

Normally, I would _not _be in the slightest bit happy about having to go to work at 6 A.M. in the morning and to have not one, but _two_, back-to-back 24 hour shifts.

Not today though.

Today, I am thrilled about keeping my crazy obsessive brain occupied by something other than the hot Latina… correction, the hot, _straight_, Latina – preferably by cutting up as many small children as I can get my hands on… _not in a creepy way… obviously._

Anyways – home, shower, surgery… _sounds like a plan._

* * *

Callie's POV

I'm early. I'm prepared. I'm amazing.

I watch the SGMW clock tick. I wait for the small hand to hit 9 as I sit rather impatiently in the Chief – _what is it? Oh god I forgot the Chief of Surgery's name! Oh god, oh god – _Webber! Webber yes, Richard Webber's office. Richard Webber, married to Adele Webber, former half of Surgery's Mr. and Mrs. Smith… _meaning_ former lover of the legendary Ellis Grey… _but I _wouldn't_ mention that part._

I've never seen Dr. Webber. He's a star down in General, but I haven't seen him. I can't say I'm not slightly intimidated after reading his paper on Islet Cell transplant though… he is… _a genius._

The processed, air-conditioned, artificial oxygen running through the vents makes me feel like I came home – _or to a hospital_. The hustle and bustle of the nurses, the patients, the doctors, the pagers; the fluorescent lights striking every corner of the ginormous edifice; the _peculiar_ smell of disinfectant, ethanol and just a hint of something else… _yes, it feels good._

Something I'm not so familiar with in the other hospitals I worked at is the light trace of Scotch in the air, but I suppose that's concentrated only to this office… _hmm… wonder why…_

I can't help but take in my surroundings.

The hospital is amazing. Almost as big as the Jackson Memorial Center back in Miami… Seattle Grace Mercy West may not have six high-running specialties in fields ranging from Cancer to Psychiatry to Nephrology to Orthopedics… but it has got state-of-the-art equipment in each and _every _arena and is _definitely_ one of the best medical centers in Gynecology, Neuro-surgery, Plastics, Pediatrics and now… _will _be in Orthopeidics. It's the number 1 ranked teaching center in Seattle. And I for one couldn't be happier to join in.

The foolproof insurance, the benefits and the rather massive paycheck was just the cherry on the delicious sundae.

Aside from the statistically high-ranking, technologically advanced aspect of the hospital, the campus is… _wow_… it's huge and it's beautiful – the out-door cafeteria, the catwalk, the gigantic skylight… and people seem to be really excited about the On-Call rooms, don't get what that's about yet… but I can't wait to find out.

There's a _fresh_, lively vibe about this place, it's vibrant and vivacious, full of competition and excitement… the lack thereof back in Miami is something I won't miss.

I can't wait to get back to work.

Leaving that house for hours on end, nope, won't miss… leaving my husband for hours on end, icing on the large cake… leaving my daughter for hours on end… makes my stomach turn.

"Dr. Torres." The rich, baritone voice makes me jump out of my chair and spin on my heel to face its source.

I prepare my most professional smile seasoned over ages of being with my husband… until I take in the man's face.

No.

My breath hitches… _no. _

I feel the color drain from my face.

He must have noticed something was wrong because,

"Everything alright?" genuine concern in his voice… _he doesn't recognize me._

_Talk… talk!_

"Uh – yea- yes yeah… great, I'm sorry…" I try to focus my dilating pupils… _gather yourself Torres…_

"Dr. Webber, hello." I try to swallow through the sudden urge to vomit and spread my mouth into the most charming 'Callie Torres-Rockstar-With-A-Scalpel' mega-watt smile I can muster… _nobody is immune to this face…_

He doesn't press the obvious issue.

He grabs my waiting hand in a firm shake… _no, this cannot be happening, not here… not again._

_Its okay… just breathe… breathe…_

"Please, have a seat." He gestures with a small nod as he rounds the large wooden desk and sits on his rolling chair.

My chest… _get the defibrillators ready._

"I've heard quiet a lot about you Dr. Torres." He says in an incomprehensible tone… _Oh god… please don't recognize me._

I try to retain the huge pseudo-grin on my face,

"All good, I hope." I say as a reflex.

"Hmm…" he glares over his bifocal glasses for a second before looking back into – what I assume is my file… _'hmm…'!? what the hell does that mean!?_

_Just work that smile Callie…_

_It's not in the file, it's not on paper, it's nowhere… nobody knows, not Julian, not my parents, nobody. Nobody knows… it's not there._

I need to calm down, I do… _Look, he doesn't remember you Callie! There were tens of other people there and – and you were a different person… it was in the middle of nowhere, it was years ago, he won't recognize you… he __**won't**_**.**

I wring my sweaty hands together nervously, my stupid wedding ring wedging into my flesh for the seemingly few hours that he scans the stack of papers in front of him, until he shifts his gaze to me… _oh god, oh god, he knows… he-he knows, he does, I can see it in his face… but he can't… no, I needa fresh start, I can't do this._

"What can I say Doctor… You're credentials are – well, impeccable – Jacobson down in Florida can't stop talking about you. We are honored to have you here…." _Wha-? He doesn't know._

I let out a massive breath of relief I didn't even know I was holding, trying to mask it with another smile.

"Thank you sir… I – " another exhalation with a genuine beam now, "- just, thank you."

"Here are a few papers you need to take a look at – just some formalities" he says with a warm smile, handing me a thin file.

With a slight nod, I oblige, quickly following the instructions on the papers as I flip through them, my heart still pacing in my chest.

I know the drill… _sign here, initial there…_

I try to still the adrenaline running through my shaky fingers.

I hand the completed dossier back to the waiting chief with a smile.

"Here is your schedule, a few forms you need to fill out – and, you can hand them in by tomorrow… just emergency contacts, insurance and all that jazz… You're pager and things, Mellissa out there on the desk should take care of you. That fine by you?" The affability in his voice can't help but put me at ease… _not what I expected from the Chief of Surgery._

"That's _very _fine by me" … _okay maybe I'm a little bit giddy._ The idiot grin on my face is totally involuntary now.

I put the manila envelope containing and I quote _'all that jazz…' _in my bag… _maybe things will finally turn around after all… well… some things._

"So… when can I start?"

"Well – I'll…" he skims the computer through the lower half of his glasses, "- I'll put you with Dr. Altman today, Teddy Altman – she's the head of Cardio. here, she'll show you the ropes… so just get to know this place and then you can start… as early as tomorrow…" he lowers an octave, "-If that's okay with you…"

"Wow, yes – yeah, yes! Of course. Thank you so much!" _Calm the hell down woman, you don't wanna' freak him out now._

He just smiles at my over-enthusiasm,

"Well, Dr. Altman seems to be in surgery right now – you can have a look around if you'd like and I'll ask her to come find you when she's done."

"Yeah, sure."

With a quick and ardent 'thank you sir' I do my best to not skip out of his office. I _cannot _believe everything turned out so perfect. Although, what the hell were the odds that it'd be _him _of all people!? Anyways… he didn't recognize me! And all's well that ends well… _hush, don't jinx it._

I walk down the catwalk through the east wing of the hospital. I can't stop admiring the architecture and the advanced technology all throughout the place. I'm rounding the third floor Skills Lab when,

"Hey there…" I turn my gaze to find the source of the rather dodgy tone.

He is… _wow_… can't deny it. Tall, athletic built, broad shoulders, dirty blonde cropped spikes which even make the greying side streaks look George Clooney-ly attractive, thin beard lining his chiseled jawline, green eyes… but that sleazy smirk across the sculpted face saying "I'm sexy and ah' know it"… _very unattractive._

I just raise my eyebrows in response as he rounds the nurse's station and approaches me – the nurse he was chatting up not looking too happy about it… _gee, I wonder why…_

He shoots me a _very _practiced smile – _sparkly._

"Haven't seen you around here…" _You seriously gonna' use that line on me?_

"Hmm… it's a big hospital… Doctor - ?" another questioning eyebrow raise from me,

"Sloan… Mark Sloan" he fills in the blank.

"Doctor Sloan… like I was saying – big hospital, lotta' floors, lotta' people" _I can play this game. _

"But… I'd definitely –"he _too _obviously scans me up and down, "- definitely remember seeing you around."

"Is that so? And what is it that you do… Dr. Sloan?" I say in that slow, hoarse tone which makes men hide the front of their pants.

"Head of Plastics…" _figures. _His proud leer widening, he offers his hand for a shake, "… and you?"

"Orthopedic surgery, I'm the new Head…" I shake his hand with a smile.

"Wow… way better than Chang –"another not-so-subtle checkout.

I don't really feel like the playful fake flirting anymore, so I just laugh.

"Did anyone give you the two dollar tour yet? " _suggestive_, being an understatement for his glare. _Eyes up here Dr. Sloan… Plastics._

I just smile politely, as I begin to step away,

"It was nice meeting you Dr. Sloan… but I have somewhere to be."

By the time he tears his eyes away from my ass, I'm almost at the end of the hallway,

"Hey! I didn't catch your name!" he yells across the corridor.

"I didn't throw it!" I reply without turning back.

_Wayyyy_ too cocky for my liking… but he'd sure as hell be a fun lay.

_Another world… Callie._

Anyways, next up, _ER._

* * *

Arizona's POV

My day has been _exhausting… _and not the good kind.

Surgery after surgery, patient after patient, it's barely noon and I already lost 2 of them.

I've been doing this for a while, but losing a patient – especially a child – _never _gets easier.

I'm starving.

I sit down in the cafeteria with a tray which looks suspiciously like spaghetti or… the peripheral circulatory system… _ahh_… _close enough._

I try to stab into the floppy apparent lettuce when a Snow White's Shiny Red Apple clad, cocky-as-ever-Mark Sloan straddles a chair next to me.

"Heya' Blondie'" he gives me a sideways suggestive glance as he not-so-softly munches on his apple.

"I hate it when you call me that Mark…" I barely look up from my plate of almost edible _'food'_.

He just sneers.

"What…?" I can tell he wants to say something… _something not very PG._

"I saw you yesterday… leavin' Joe's with that sexy little redhead." Another annoying mouthful.

"So…? None of your business. Leave me alone Mark… I'm trying to eat." I groan through my disgusting morsel.

"Didn't think you'd be this hungry after last night…" the classic _Sloan _wink… _Gag._

"Oh bite me Mark." I'm seriously not in the mood today.

He just feigns an insulted look but continues anyways,

"Woah… easy there Blondie –" which gets him another angry glare, "… just sayin' she was pretty hot, hotter than the Wednesday chick with the hooker tat on her left boob."

I just exhale tiredly,

"What do you want Mark?"

He straightens up,

"Hey… all I'm saying is – why are you all pissy after sucha' hot lay, that's all."

I look up at him,

"It's –" I shake my head, "- nothing… just one of _those _days."

"Mmk –"another assault to the fruit in his hand, "- you know what'll cheer you up? Did you see the Head of Ortho.?" I can almost _hear _the testosterone dripping off of his words.

I try to gather the pasta on my fork,

"Yeah – Mark, Chang's great and all – but old, frail and translucent isn't really my type. Thanks though!" I shoot him an animated, dimpled smile.

The sarcasm doesn't get to him,

"I meant the _new _Head of Ortho. smartass. Did you see her?"

"No… I didn't, but – wait, Chang retired?" _Finally._

"Umm… yea "retired" " he says with air quotes.

"Well, it's about time… he's kind of a dinosaur – didn't even think he had any bones left in his body which is kinda' ironic for being a bone sur –"

"Anyways…" Mark dramatically interrupts my drawl, "… back to the new Doc - Robbins – WOW. You – I can't even explain it – she's WOW."

I just give a ridiculing chuckle as I sip on my soda… _probably some beach blonde skank with a tongue ring._

"No…" he comes closer, very secret-in-high school-ish, "… you're not getting me. You smash up all the hot nurses, doctors AND drug reps. in this place PLUS that Double G chick I banged last week – and they still got nothin' on her."

"Okay… I believe you." I sing wearily. _Anything to make him shut up – I love him, but really not in a Marky disposition today._

"She's got this black hair and this voice and her body! God… WOW, it's – I'm _this _close to getting in her pants already…" he smirks.

"Mmmmkk…" through my chewing, "What's her name?" I say knowingly.

He looks like a deer caught in the headlights but pulls through,

"I don't know yet but –"

"That's what I thought." I sneer victoriously, "Anyways Sloan… as fun as this was – I have to go find Teddy, so I'll see ya'" I say getting up from my seat and tossing the remainder of my lunch into the garbage.

"Keep a look-out for the hot Doc. Blondie!" leave it to Mark to scream something like that across a cafeteria full of people.

"Suck it Mark!"

* * *

Callie's POV

"So I peeked into your Quadruple Heart Bypass just now, gotta' say - the three tier loop technique – _very _impressive." I say as I walk down the Cardio wing with the tall, thin, honey blonde Dr. Teddy Altman, "And that resident of yours? Sure she's not a Fellow?" I say with a soft laugh.

"Yeah… that's Christina Yang – way too smart for her own good. She was born for hearts though." She chuckles.

"So, you headed the Ortho. Department, back at Jackson Memorial?"

"Yup…" I reply, not really wanting to expand.

"Well… it's obviously an amazing facility –"she knits her eyebrows, "- what brings you here?"

"You know… husband, life, just the works ha-ha –"I smile professionally, "- plus, I more than needed a change of scenery."

She doesn't press the subject,

"Yeah, well Seattle is… you know… its certainly good change and…"

Now, I don't know what happened here.

She said… something.

She kept talking… I – I think she did… but I didn't really hear the rest.

I don't know what happened.

I just know that I felt my heart - Skip. Stop. Stun.

Every vibration around me drowns into a soft hum.

I hear nothing… but my heart beat.

_What happened?_

Then I saw it… I saw **_her_****.**

The blonde hair… th- the, the blue eyes… it's… dimples an- and- and it's – that _smile_. I can't think… it's _her… _Those eyes… she's…

I want… _need _to talk to her… I just, I do.

"Umm… Dr. Torres?"

The perplexed voice drags me back into reality.

"Huh?" I have a rather difficult time pulling my eyes away from _her._

The Cardiothoracic Surgeon doesn't take long to copycat my trail,

"You uh – Dr. Torres? You know her?"

_Callie, wake up!_

I spin around to face a slightly freaked out Teddy Altman; she almost recoils at the suddenness,

"_You_ know her?" I can't hide the pulsating excitement in my voice… _what the hell Torres? _

"Umm… yeah, that's Docto –"

"Teddy! I've been looking all over for you!"

_It's her._

I whirl around in an instant – _some strange impulse_.

It. Is. **Her**.

She's centimeters away from me.

I can see the jolt of shock on her face; her breath hitches; she stops dead in her tracks.

_Was she just gliding? Da' fuck? No… you are officially losing it Callie._

What is this? I don't – I can't even… Vanilla Citrus…

"Callie?"

She breaks the uncanny trance.

She takes a step toward us.

I try with _ever _atom of strength in my body to snap out of whatever the hell I'm feeling.

"Arizona…" I love that name.

The navy blue scrubs _really _offer a perfect contrast to that shiny blonde, now-straight, shoulder length hair… plus the color totally plays off her eyes… _not in a weird way, I just – I love… fashion – yeah I'm totally into it._

"Wha-? What are you doing here?" her face now turning into the hugest beam ever, but then it falls in a second into a worried frown, "I – it's – is everything okay… I mean you're at the hospital and - ?"

"Yeah – of course, I'm just –" I shake my head to clear it of the still brewing fog, "- I can't believe it! You – you work here?"

Now there's no way I can hide the wide grin across my face, I feel my heart flutter at the thought… _What's wrong with me?_

Much to my chagrin, the silent spectator, Teddy Altman, steps forward – If I could rip my eyes off of Arizona's face, I'd have seen the bewildered look on the Cardio. Surgeon's face.

"Umm… you two know each other?"

We both start with 'I – something's together but then burst into the most sheepish laugh I've ever heard.

Wow… _her laugh_…

I find myself mimicking it.

I'm giggling like a school girl… _I didn't even giggle like a schoolgirl when I was a schoolgirl! What the fuck, Callie Torres doesn't giggle… I'm badass._

"Ohh… kay'… Arizona – this is Dr. Callie Torres – the new Head of Ortho." I vaguely hear Teddy.

Arizona's face shows… _a mixture of shock and – something else…_

So, Teddy continues with the introductions,

"This… " she looks at a very distracted me, "… is Dr. Arizona Robbins, head of Peds. Surgery"

I somehow feel my interest spike by about a million – if that was even possible.

_Peds. Surgery… never would have thought of it this way…_

"Small world…" I breathe out.

"Yeah –" I can see her lick her lips and I feel something… _strange_, "- I'm sorry I'm still a little bit – just, so shocked!" she widens her grin.

I can't help but laugh in response.

_What a day…_

She opens her mouth to say something but a loud shrieking of the black pager on her waistband oh so _rudely _interrupts us…

She pulls it off and winces,

"Damn… 911 – I gotta' take this one, Callie… but I'll see you –"she hastily begins heading for the large double-doors at the end of the hallway, almost pacing backwards, "- I owe you one, remember?" a playful glint in her eye.

I just raise my eyebrows and offer a toothy smile in return.

My heart is pacing… faster… much faster than her gait.

I watch her disappear through the door.

I don't know what the hell I'm feeling right now but I have to get to know her… I just do… I want to be her – _I can't identify 'what' – _so I'm narrowing it down to _friend._

_What is this?_

In this moment, I don't care.

I want to be her… _friend_…

_I want… __**need**__ to be her friend… I just, I do._

* * *

**A/N: **So… you guys think they should be friends? ;) Don't forget to leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Title:**Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing:**Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating:**T - M

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Made for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **Again, you guys are kinda' uh-mazing… thanks so much for the reviews, it's the best incentive ever. This one is _pretttty _long, hope I don't have to be sorry about that :P Let me know what you guys thought! Enjoy :D

* * *

Arizona's POV

Pinch me… _now_.

Pinch me.

Pinch me, Pinch me.

Pinch me, Pinch me, Pinch me…

No, like seriously… Pinch me.

SOMEBODY HAD BETTER FRICKIN' PINCH ME RIGHT NOW!

"Did you wanna' say something, Dr. Robbins?"

An ever-so-grumpy Alex Karev's barely audible growl thrashes me back into reality.

"Huh?" My head jolts up from the Perfed Bowel of the 7 year old Peritonitis patient my hands are currently clipping the ileum of.

Alex just gives me a puzzled glare out of the small slit between the light blue scrub cap and mask revealing his eyes,

"You… you said something. About… umm… _pinching_?"

Now, I'm so _super_ thankful for the linen covering most of my face… because otherwise… the three gossipy Peds. Nurses, the bored anesthesiologist and my grouchy resident would all have witnessed the quickly spreading red blush across my cheeks.

"Clamp the ileum, Dr. Karev" He knows better than to question _this _tone, so, he obliges with just a quick shrug and scoff.

Everyone falls back into their trained silence.

All anybody in O.R. 4 would hear is the steady beeping of the heart monitor, the hissing of the ventilator, the graceful cling-clang of surgical instruments and the vibrations of the soft Fidelio _(Gasman's choice)_ playing in the background. With a lingering whiff of Betadine in the air, it all molds into quiet a tranquil symphony…

At least that's all any sane person _should _be hearing in O.R. 4.

I, of course, do _not_ belong to that category.

Because, all I hear over and over and _over _again is my best friend's voice,

_"Ohh… kay'… Arizona – this is Dr. Callie Torres – the new Head of Ortho."_

I can't stop hearing it.

The – _THE _Callie Torres… woman who fed half my sexual musings for the last night, woman who I thought I'd never see again, woman who I began to think was a mere figment of my flamboyant imagination… just _happens _to be the new doctor at the hospital _I _work at?!

ONE day after I meet her at a school playground?!

I mean… that's got to be the stuff of legends right?

Of pink… sparkly… magical _legends…?_

I saw her today and for a second I just…

In short… she almost made me trip over my Heelys – _nuff' said._

I met her for maybe three minutes before my pager rang because little Emily Kydwell has got a very angry Peritoneum… _maybe three minutes; n_ot that my brain even functioned during those three minutes, mind you.

What really freaks me out though is how she can make me feel SO hazy and airheaded _just _with one smile, or one look; that is _not_ me. _I _don't chase women around, _they _chase _me _around! I'm hot!

Plus, I like things plain and simple; like surgery, cut, clean, close – I like my women to bed, _come_ and go… just like that.

The truth is, I don't have time for the infamous U-Hauling and the unnecessary intimacy, the multiple dates and the wooing… it's just not for me, it hasn't been for a long time. I like my life the way it is, I don't _want _it to change.

And now, this one-sided infatuation with a married woman _definitely _doesn't fit into my life, there's no room for it, and so it's got to stop.

It's just _sad_ that she's straight… _she's too hot to be straight dammit! What a waste…_

Needless to say… she _is._

And hell will freeze over the day Arizona Robbins pines over a straight girl… _we all learned that painful lesson back when we were in diapers – high school – same difference._

Point being, Callie Torres can be nothing more than my hot, _hot_ friend.

Which is totally fine by me, I've had _plenty _of hot women as friends who I have never everslept with! _Okay… maybe not. But better late than never right!? _

Now that I think about it, I have been known to flip _quite a few_ straight women over to the dark side… if you know what Imean…

Besides, I know I have to be her friend at least, because I know myself, I won't be able to watch her hang out with someone else and not me when she's right in the same building… _continent… whatever_… I'm just going to have to learn to control myself, that's all.

She… she can be like Teddy! Right! Genius! She's like a Teddy! That's exactly what's going to happen!

Teddy's straight, Callie's _straight; _Teddy's pretty, Callie's _pretty; _Teddy's my friend, Callie's my _friend_… there, done… no muss, no fuss!

I let out a huge breath of relief which results in another questioning glare from Alex, but this time, he keeps his mouth shut.

"Can you close up in here Dr. Karev?" I say off-handedly as I head out the O.R. into the scrub room.

I hear a vague mumbling of a 'got it boss…' as I peel off my surgical gown and bloodstained gloves.

I can't help but silently thank _every _God I know for the fact that this was a textbook procedure… I could have done it with my eyes closed – two hours long, but _very _textbook.

I'm really, _really _good at compartmentalizing, I really am; personal and professional issues – _never _mix in my head, _hell_, personal and personal issues _never _mix in my head… I'm kinda' awesome that way.

But damn Callie Torres had to come and mess up my awesomeness, because as _painful _as it is for me to admit, I don't know that if today's procedure had been even slightly complex, I don't know that I could have given my absolute hundred and fifty percent… I _would _have eventually, but it would have been forced – and I don't like it.

I scrub the sensitive flesh on my inner wrist a little harder than I should…

Rinsing off the anti-bacterial foam off of my hands, I wipe them dry… its second nature.

As I stare through the glass into the undisturbed O.R. it hits me like an incapacitating heat wave, pouring out every ounce of the shaky breath left in me… all over again.

She's here, she's really here.

* * *

So, I'm not really sure how many tiny humans my scalpel cut into today.

Let's just say this seems to be _the _day all kids should stay away from sharp pointy objects, choking hazards and flesh eating bacteria – plus _every _eclamptic lady out their chose to go into pre-term labor on my shift and pop out a low weight baby who just _happened _to need some sort of cutting into.

Needless to say, I'm _exhausted_.

It's been about 6 hours since I even sat down and almost 5 and a half hours since I last saw Callie – _but who's counting?_

So, obviously I _need _a break! The part where I have another practically 24 hour shift after this one ends, with no more than a few hours of a break just makes my legs feel a little heavier and my stomach growl a little louder.

The only remote silver lining is the fact that I'm walking down to the waiting area to tell Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz that their 4 year old son came through his femoral hernia repair with flying colors. Although it wasn't a life threatening surgery; whether your child has a splinter in their pinky or a gunshot wound to the chest… it's all the same to the parents, and watching the relief wash over their faces knowing that you were a part of that, it's almost enough to remind you why it's okay that you're starving half to death or that you can't feel your ankles anymore.

"Hey! Arizona!"

I involuntarily spin around at my name to see a navy scrub clad Teddy Altman jog to catch up to me, I feel my heart skip at the sight of the two gleaming cups of coffee in her hands.

Apparently, my glazed eyes don't escape her,

"Thought you might need a hit right about now, haven't seen you all day…" she says as I grab an SGMW sleeve-clad paper cup full of hot, steamy goodness.

"Mmmm…." Is all I can get out through my caffeine induced mini orgasm as I waste no time sipping the scalding liquid, "Teddy… oh god, I could kiss you right now."

I'm met with an amused smile and an eyebrow raise,

"Yeah – please don't" she chuckles.

I just elbow her in the ribs as we walk down the hallway… _the coffee is so, so good…_

"Mm… really, anything you want Teddy, I owe you my firstborn"

She shoots me another bemused expression but I can see her brain brewing something much hotter than this coffee.

"So… spill!" she says after a few seconds of tentative silence.

"Come again?" the caffeine isn't even helping me follow her line of thought.

She brusquely stops and turns to face me with a grinning scoff,

"You and the hot Ortho! What is that!?"

"Wh – what?" a nervous laugh escapes my mouth – _dammit Robbins._

"Oh c'mon! She's the one you were all drooly over when you went to pick Allison up and now she's here! And I –"

"What? How do you know she's the one I was all _drooly _over!?" me quickly slipping into defensive mode.

"You told me! Last night, you, me, Joe's – ring a bell?" her excited grin getting wider.

"No –"I furrow my eyebrows as I rack my brain for the vague memory, "- I - I said I met a really hot woman, I didn't say it was her!"

We continue our inconsistent walk, oblivious to the typical crowd of scrub-concealed bodies walking against us.

"Well… _Callie –"she_ enunciates her name theatrically, "- told me that's how you two met. I just joined two and two together…" she says with a casual wave of her empty hand, "… it's not heart surgery ya' know? Oh wait! Wouldn't matter even if it was…" she smirks at her own poorly-executed joke.

"Oh ha-ha –"I deadpan, but then… "Wait, she talked about me?" now it's my turn to stop dead in my tracks.

I can feel that warm, teenage gush of emotions explode in my stomach at the thought.

Teddy whirls around to my side again, this time, with a victorious glint in her eyes,

"Aha! Knew it! It's her isn't it?!" I can see her bobbing up and down excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever!" I don't really care if she knows anymore, my racing heart signals my attention has latched on to more important matters, "Just – she talked about me? What did she say?"

Teddy gives me a mocking bobble of the eyebrows,

"Wow… sorry Kimberly, I forgot we were in high-school and not working in a prestigious medical center"

"Stop!" I'm almost whining… _oh god, even I hear it now_, but my mouth continues regardless, "Just tell me!"

_Callie talked about me! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh… _

_Umm… strictly as a friend – obviously… Teddy talks; Callie talks._

Teddy's eyes widen while her eyebrows furrow at my reaction,

"OH 'kay… now… wow –" a warning glare from me brings her back on track, "- nothing, she was just, you know? She said that you guys met at the school playground and she was just asking about you."

Teddy gives me a quizzical glare as my eyebrows arch up higher urging her to continue; with an exasperated sigh, she obliges,

"Nothing much… just about work and stuff. Oh yeah, and her daughter can't stop talking about you, apparently she thinks, and I quote, 'You're as pretty as Cinderella'"

I think my heart just stopped beating,

"Callie said I was as pretty as Cinderella!?"

"Uh – no, Arizona –"another vexed glare from the blonde, "- her _daughter_, who was conceived by your epic crush having sex with A _man _said so._" _Teddy articulates the last part with an animated expression like she's talking to a toddler.

"Oh ew… gross. Stop." I scrunch my nose up in disgust at the involuntary image of Callie being with… _a man_… just... _ew._

"Yeah – Arizona… "Teddy heckles at my antics, "… point being, she's very much _involved -" _she stresses on the word and continues, "- _in_ a _heterosexual_ marriage with said man, I know you know…"

"I know…" I say like a child being reprimanded by her evil stepmother… _Oooh… or Cinderella being – okay, stop it._

"So? What? You don't do _'newborns'_ "Teddy vocalizes with air-quotes, "- or even the same lesbian more than twice but you're gonna' go all Fatal Attraction on a married straight mother? You don't even like kids when you're not cutting into them!"

"Wha-!? No! I never – obviously not Teddy!" I can't believe she would suggest that.

My astonishment obviously lost on my friend,

"Sure… okay…" she says through her coffee; her sarcasm as subtle as a gun.

"Plus… yes, I admit it… she's not _at all_ hard on the eyes but that's it – I – that's all, I'm going to be her friend, and just – yeah…" I end my aimless drawl when Teddy looks at me with mock sympathy.

I just narrow my eyes with an animated cautioning glare,

"I have to go talk to the parents now…"

I barely hear her soft chortle through my stomping as I pace toward the waiting room to see the Schwartz's, not before dumping my empty coffee cup into the garbage of course… _I try to be as professional as possible._

As annoyed as I am with her implication right now, I know Teddy is right. I have to be careful… Callie has a life, I have a life – we have to find a way to maintain that boundary without me drooling over her like a rabid dog and risk freaking her out… _stop getting ahead of yourself! You've met the woman __**twice**__, and the second one barely even counts…_

I'm sure there's more to her than just being hot; I'll just focus on that part to be her friend.

* * *

After a detailed discussion with the parents about Lenny Schwartz's recovery and prognosis – with the routine tears and smiles and hugs – I decide to take this opportunity to stretch out in the Peds. On-call room hoping my stupid pager won't start screaming again.

A long overdue wave of fatigue hits me with a vengeance… I could seriously use that nap.

Walking across the catwalk, my breath almost catches in my throat when I see that the Seattle sun is nowhere to be seen, I can see the usual dense fog settle over the city's night sky – _night – _being the operative word; as the last time I walked down here, it was _definitely _no night. The day went by awfully quickly.

I round the Chief's office and head over to the elevator when,

"Dr. Robbins!"

_What the hell happened now?_

I turn around in a huff to face the source of the unwelcome voice.

"Mellissa, hey… what's up?" I try to maintain my friendly smile, despite the fact that I want to throttle the 20-something redhead to come between me and that _hopefully empty _On-call room.

She's panting, "You, uh –" shallow inhale, "- are you heading over to Peds.?"

"Mhmm…" I hum through my ever-spreading grin. _Where else would I possibly go you dense moron? How the hell did she make the Chief's secretary…?_

"Oh, I've been chasing you down forever, what the hell do you have on those shoes? Anyways, I just – "she tries to catch her breath through her rambling, "- you know the new Ortho. doc. right? A Doctor Torres?"

My ears involuntarily perk up,

"Yeah… what about her?" I ask genuinely… _I swear the walls have ears here._

"No – I – someone from HR was supposed to come up to give her these, well, they didn't and now I have to –" she stretches out a hand with a manila envelope, "- but, she's down in Peds. and the Pfizer Drug Reps. are on their way, they –" she shakes her head franticly, " – they could be here any minute, so I – if you're going down there, can you just…" she trails off stepping closer, sticking her offending arm out further.

"Wait. Doctor –" I knit my eyebrows, " – Dr. Torres? She's still here?" _Maybe… I'm not so tired after all…_

"Yeah, she's down rounding Pediatrics and if you are on your way there anyways then could you just –"

"Yup, I got it Melissa!" I say a little too excitedly with my most sincere beam yet, grabbing the thick packet in her hand in a fluid motion.

Before I know it, I'm on the stifling, jam-packed elevator counting the digital numbers signaling the floor… I've _never _waited _for that 'ding' noise more desperately in my life._

I subconsciously run my fingers through my hair, trying to make myself as presentable as possible, wish I had my lip gloss on me…

Offering a few professional smiles to some colleagues on the elevator, I practically have to remind myself to not skip out the metal box when I reach my floor.

Before I know it, I'm pacing through the halls until I reach the nurse's station,

"Hey, Sam…" I call out breathlessly.

She turns around and offers me a sultry smile,

"Heya' Zona'" _Crap._

I just laugh nervously, quickly shooting a cursory glance around to see if anybody heard,

"Sam… it's –" another wheezy laugh, "- it's Dr. Robbins, at work… remember?"

"Okay… that's fun too…" she winks, stepping far closer than I would like, "– so, what's got you all worked up… _Doctor Robbins…?" _she hisses.

I step back with a sheepish laugh,

"Umm… Dr. Callie Torres? Is she here?"

"Oh –" she seems surprised at my lack of interest… _no more than twice Sam_, "- yeah, she's down in the NICU – should be here any minute now."

"Kay' –"I offer a dimpled smile, "- thanks so much Sam…" I add a wink out of habit. _Dammit Robbins, stop flirting!_

I can see her face flush; she opens her mouth to say something but the crying of a child from down the hall leads her to excuse herself with a very _non-PG _wink toward me.

God… I hate when that happens.

After a few minutes, I learn, waiting for Callie Torres is _not _an easy task. It's like watching paint dry, but a lot more dramatic with an abnormal heart rhythm and the reflexes of a schizophrenic cat.

I lean back on the wooden desk as my eyes scan my surroundings – the pastel colored scrubs, the G.I. Joe action figures, the incessant chatter of tiny children, the red eyed worried-to-death parents… then, my gaze swipes over the envelope in my hand, so fast that it wouldn't even register to a human brain, but my eyes reel back in to retrace their path and focus on the white sticker attached to the front of the casing.

It's the name tag.

_ Dr. Calliope I. Torres, MD._

"Calliope…?" I feel it slide off of my tongue like silk on skin,

"Calliope…" I repeat under my breath.

"Wh- what was that?"

My head jolts up so fast that I'm sure I cracked my vertebrae.

I have to physically stop my eyes from raking up and down the tightest navy blue skirt suit clad Callie – Nuh huh… _Calliope _– Torres, wearing a shell-shocked expression.

I can't help but stifle a grin at the dramatic-ness of the woman… _this is going to be fun._

I raise my eyebrows teasingly and add in a smirk,

"So, Callie is short for Callio –"

"Shush – " in one long stride she covers the distance between us, casing my mouth with her palm, looking around sketchily to see if anyone heard, she bends closer to my ear and whispers in the huskiest texture known to man, "- Don't. Say. That."

Her eyes staring right into mine.

I might have died here; I'm not so sure… because that soft medley of cinnamon and honey laced with some sort of spicy amber, coupled with the feel of her skin against my lips was just too much for my body to handle… It was an achingly complicated fragrance, one which you could maybe only describe with taste…

I think it might have been less than a mile-second before Callie withdrew her hand and went back to her position a few feet away from me, but the all-too-familiar tug at the bottom of my abdomen might want to argue with that time frame.

"Promise me!"

I literally have to shake my head and take a step back to jerk my body out of its urge to melt into a puddle…

"Wh – what?" _Okay, I'm seriously lightheaded now…_ I grasp the edge of the table behind me with apparently clammy hands.

"Hey – whoa, Arizona you okay?" Callie's voice dissolves into the softest one I've ever heard as she instinctively steps closer.

"Ye- yeah I'm –"I swallow, "- I'm good, just – I'm fine…" I breathe out.

_Did this woman just do that to me?_

"No, you're not; you're all pale… what's the last time you ate?"

_Ohhhh… yeah, that might have something to do with it._

"Umm… it's been a while." I chuckle sheepishly, struggling to metabolize the backup sugar stored in my body.

"Mm… that's what I thought" She says, placing a steadying hold on my bicep.

"I'll be fine… just umm… it's been a crazy day today, ya' know?"

"Yeah, well, we're going to go to the cafeteria and get some food in you before you pass out." She says in a manner not up for discussion.

"No, rea-really I - I'm good now" I blink a couple of times to concentrate my quickly blurring vision… _dammit, should not have skipped breakfast._

Callie firmly grabs my forearms to hold me up and my fingers instinctively grip onto her skin when I feel myself losing the last semblance of my balance. She props me up against the wooden desk behind me,

"Ok… hold on" she says reassuringly, "I'll be right back"

She rounds the desk, but I feel too drained to turn around and face the slight ruffling I hear behind me.

_Of course, this has to happen to me in front of Callie… Uhgg – thank God, I didn't throw up or something…_

"Now… this is totally unfair, but I'm gonna' do it anyways" I hear her say from behind.

She comes back to face me and I can almost make out a faint smile playing across her face…

"Here… this should hold you up until we get to some substantial food" she says, pulling something out of her bag.

I have to squint to focus my dilating gaze but I can make out neon orange in her hand, and it's enough to make me burst into dizzying laughter… she joins in,

"C'mon… eat up… don't think I lost count though." She says through a breathy laugh, _so _not helping my buckling knees.

She rips open the packet and hands me the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup,

I look up at her and can't help but smile at the evocative warmth across her face,

"You might just put me in debt there _Calliope_ Torres" I say lightly, taking the candy from her hand.

"Hmm… well since you're one step away from going into hypoglycemic shock and all… I won't be clocking you down for calling me that – you're lucky…"I can almost hear that smile in her voice.

"Mmm…" I take a bite, contemplating her words, "… you wouldn't clock me down Calliope" I state simply.

The suddenly amused expression on Callie's face doesn't escape me.

She opens her mouth to say something, but the hesitation gets the best of her; she just looks at me.

I can feel the surge of energy through my veins within mere 3 to 4 bites of the calorie dense chocolate and almost stand back up without the support of any furniture… I know it's not at all long lasting though.

I lick some melted chocolate off my bottom lip… and if I didn't know any better, I could swear Callie's gaze flicked to my mouth.

Now it's her turn to be shaky and pale, I can see her expression change into an almost anxious one as she steps back,

"You okay?" I step forward as she drags her gaze back up to my eyes.

She blinks a couple of times as if to center her wavering gape.

"Uh – umm… mhmm… yea- yeah, yup, totally…" her voice is a little too high-pitched for honest.

But, whatever that was, passes as quickly as it came as she glazes it over with a nervous, smoky laugh,

"Okay, let's go – cafeteria" without much ado she starts walking and heads to the elevator… _Weird._

I just look at her.

She turns around and faces me when she realizes I'm not following.

"Umm… " she smiles _that _smile, " … as much as I'd love to be all magnanimous and gallant here Arizona, I'm kinda' new to this place – so you're' gonna' have to lead the way."

"Oh!" I almost jump up, "Yeah! Of course…" I mumble as I head over to the waiting elevator.

The car is asphyxiatingly full as usual, the hospital never sleeps.

"You okay?" she mouths when I noticeably swallow the rising bile in my throat… _damn hypoglycemia._

I just smile in return… _My heart does a little flip at the thought of Callie even caring that much._

We make our way to the cafeteria without much more than a few words from me leading us in the right direction.

* * *

The cafeteria, a stark opposite to its daylight routine, is actually pretty vacant this time of the evening; a couple of anxious family members trying to choke down food, a few nurses, some doctors… no more.

Callie's eyes widen at the sight.

"What happened?" and a questioning glare from me.

"This place… it's pretty huge." Callie says almost in awe.

I just chuckle at her reaction as I make my way to the cash counter when,

"Where are you going?"

"Umm… food? Remember? Me – all faint and hypoglycemic?" I say in mock confusion.

"Yeah…" she scoffs with an attitude-ey smile, "… no. That's not happening, you're going to go and sit down while I get you something." She begins to walk past me.

I try to chase after her as best I can, "What? No, I'm not dying Calliope, I'm – it's –"

"Sit." She whirls around with an eyebrow raise I don't think I've _ever_ seen; it could make Mark Sloan celibate…

I oblige… I don't think anyone wouldn't oblige after that look.

I pick a round table next to the glass wall, only two chairs.

The Bronte-esque cacophony of whirling clouds mingling with stonewashed shadows… the illusive glow of the moon… the ominous flash of electricity passing through the foggy blackness – it doesn't escape me - despite my dizzying nausea.

"Here you go…"

I turn from the window to Callie, sliding into the chair opposite to me.

If I wasn't already fainting from the lack of sugar in my blood – I would have from looking at her.

The haziest hint of the moon plays across her tan skin in the most treacherous way. Her usual red lips somehow look even darker, a deep scarlet. The one-sided flow of light gives her chest a blurry radiance. Her eyes, falling into a burntwood tint… deeper than the ocean.

"Hey... you didn't slip into a diabetic coma or something did you?"

"Huh?" I snap out of it, "No, no…" a nervous laugh with a deep inhale, "You're just - so…" _What. The. Fuck. Shut up. NOW._

Callie just raises her eyebrows alluringly, a smile playing across her mouth.

"Thank you… Calliope" I complete the awkward sentence as gracefully as I can.

"Okay…" she laughs uneasily, "Now here" She pushes a sandwich toward me.

I reluctantly rip my eyes away from her face and toward the saran wrapped whole wheat sandwich just lying in front of me.

I can't help but cringe at the sight.

Another chuckle,

"Not a fan of sandwiches?"

I wrinkle my nose in aversion and shake my head sideways as a reply.

"Me neither…" she says, "… but it was the only half-descent looking thing out there. So shut up and eat."

She shoves the sandwich further in my direction.

"Okay _Mom_…" I sing animatedly, giving her a bemused look.

She amplifies her eyes in mock-shock. Just as she opens her mouth to say something, I cut her off,

"Oh! I almost forgot… how's Allegra?" I say, poking the suspiciously edible object on the table.

Callie's prior astonishment casts into the brightest smile known to the Supernova… _literally, it could light up Africa,_

"She – she's great! Can't stop talking about her new 'BFFL' Allison and her _awesome _Aunty Arrri-zona…" she gets out excitedly.

"Ohh… so I'm _awesome?"_ I play, finally unwrapping the so-called sandwich.

"Well… you know? Can't argue with that…" she laughs, "… how's Allison?"

"Oh –" I take an ant-bite out of the said sandwich, "- Mmmm… I don't really know – I only ever meet her when I owe Teddy a favor."

Callie smirks with a cocked eyebrow,

"Charming…" she deadpans.

"Oh please! I'm around kids all day every day; I don't want them all over my personal life too… So sue me" I say with a shrug.

"Mhmm… this coming from the world's best Pediatric Surgeon…" she chortles.

I look up at her mid-chew, washing it down with a sip of water,

"I could be a horrible Pediatric Surgeon Calliope…" I say simply.

With another lift of her eyebrows… _I'm learning she does that a lot… _she continues,

"Well, are you - a horrible Pediatric Surgeon, Arizona?"

"Hmm… nope, I'm kinda' awesome" I grin.

She snickers, "That's what I thought…" then sips her coffee.

Despite the fact that this sandwich is a whole new level of _eww,_ I already feel a little more energetic.

"What are you doing here so late anyways?" I ask with knitted eyebrows, grabbing a tissue.

"Oh… well, I had to hand in some papers to the Chief like –" she glances at her wrist watch, "- an hour ago but he's been stuck in surgery on this Cohn's patient with multiple enterocutaneous fistulas…" she makes an '_eek' _face.

"Oh – wow…" I mimic her expression.

"So… I figured, I'd either come back tomorrow or just wait around to meet this Pediatric Surgeon who owes me some candy…" she says, eyebrows raising impishly, smile widening.

I feel my stomach flip – the good kind this time… _She waited for me?_

I don't know what it is that we talked about or for how long it went on.

We just talked, nothing deeply personal or anything – just fluffy chit-chat.

There was a lot of laughter, the most refreshing banter and I won't lie, a couple of indicative eyelash bats from me… but I'm learning to keep it under control.

The hospital shifts and settles underneath us, a new blur of people replace in and out the room… but I don't notice… and the best part – I don't think she does either.

I don't even need that nap anymore.

All in all, the best damn hypoglycemic sandwich dinner I ever had…

Amidst another bout of unfounded laughter, the most unwelcome shrieking jars us back into reality.

"Oh – shoot…" I jeer under my breath as I stare at the offending object blaring at my waistband, "– duty calls" I sigh.

"Aw… okay –" she actually looks disappointed, "- well, I – I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Calliope – this was fun." I say showing my dimples, as I regretfully get up and gather the cups and wrappers.

"It really, really was. Now, go be an _awesome _Pediatric surgeon Arizona…" she sneers playfully; there is this light in her eyes a thousand candles wouldn't show.

I toss the garbage in the trash can, I can't seem to wipe that foolish grin off my face; I'm almost halfway across the cafeteria when,

"Arizona!"

I gladly spin around to face her, still standing at our table.

"Did I forget something?" I step in her direction.

"Oh no, no, no I – "she smiles wider, "- I was just wondering, when do you get off tonight?"

"I don't – well – I kinda' do, but only for a few hours, why?"

"No… I mean – I don't know anything about Seattle, but do you wanna' hang out? Like –" she clears her throat, "- you know? Get a drink or something… if you know any place?" she seems almost nervous.

"Sure Calliope, I'd love to get to get a drink or something…" I repeat unwittingly – _or out of pure unadulterated giddiness, I don't know yet…_

"Okay, great! So, what time?" she asks, seemingly relaxed now.

"Umm… well I get off in an hour, so say – 9:30?" I glance at my watch.

"Okay… I should be done with the Chief by then too – so, meet you at the front desk?"

"Can't wait!" my beam making my face hurt now; I ruefully begin to step toward the exit.

"Me neither! It's going to be quite an experience hanging out with you when you're not dying of low-blood sugar Arizona!" she laughs.

"Oh Pchh… Dramatic-much?" I say with mock-insult.

She just laughs that low, throaty laugh,

"See you then Arizona…"

I reply with the toothiest grin, "See ya'!"

Needless to say, I glide out the cafeteria.

_YAYYYY! I'm going out for drinks with Calliope Frickin' Torres! _

_ No big deal… Teddy drinks; Callie drinks._

Okay, no, I really can't do that anymore.

There is _definitely _so much more to her than being hot… and I'm going to focus on that to be her _friend._ That's right – _just her friend._

* * *

I don't even know how the next hour passes – I'm in the pit, healing tiny humans injured in a double MVA. Today, Christina Yang's poker face or Meredith Grey's whiney-ness doesn't even bother me.

Before I know it, I'm off and rolling to the front desk.

She's not here.

"Hey Melissa…" I call out to the exhausted woman sitting on the other side of that desk.

She just replies with a questioning eyebrow raise, typing away on the screen in front of her.

"Umm… Dr. Torres? Do you know where she is?" I ask.

She looks up at me, her fingers never stopping,

"Oh – she left."

"To the Chief's office? When will she be done?"

"Umm… no –" she furrows her eyebrows, "- she left the hospital, like… a half hour ago."

"Wh – what?" I'm positive it's another bout of hypoglycemia talking.

She just glares at me – _yes, I'm being annoying _– I really don't care right now.

"What do you mean she _left?_ Torres, like Dr. Callie Torres? Ortho?"

"Yeah I know who she is… she talked to the Chief and left – anyways, I'm kinda' busy right now Dr. Robbins, so if you wouldn't mind." _Real subtle…_

It literally feels like someone stuck their hand down my throat and pulled my heart out – _a very violent, disturbing feeling I should not be feeling for a woman I know for all of 48 hours._

But, it's so not like her! She – she would leave a message with someone or _something_… _Arizona, you don't know her to know what's 'like her'._

But _she _suggested it!

God… this makes _absolutely _no sense.

My feet automatically carry me to where I know I need to go right now.

_The pastel colored scrubs, the G.I. Joe action figures, the incessant chatter of tiny children, the red eyed worried-to-death parents…_

"Sam…" I bend as close to the nurse as I can.

She whirls around in shock,

"Zona' " she whispers, close enough that I can feel her breath over my mouth.

"Hey…" I wink and smile with my inner-most slut, "What do you say to… getting sloshed at Joe's and then heading back to your place…" it's a pointless question because I know the answer.

And I was right – _yay._

We walk out the main lobby in no time, her hand no-so-subtly grazing my ass as she slips her arm around my waist.

"Hey, so did you find that Dr. Torres from before?" Sam asks innocuously.

How the _hell _did this happen?

_Pinch me…_

* * *

**A/N: **Uh – oh… what's going on with Callie? Care to share?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Title:**Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing:**Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating: **T - M

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Made for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N:** Once again, I can't thank you all enough for all the wonderful reviews. They seriously make me write faster. I'd love all your opinions – positive or otherwise, so keep them coming :) Hope you enjoy this one…

* * *

Callie's POV

It burns.

The pale blue liquid in that vial…

Going down my throat, it burns.

Although, by now, it's just a dull tingle peppering my insides.

Also – I'm a little bit confused… what _exactly_ burns?

I stare at the variety of transparent glasses making patterns across the black chrome.

It's like an annoying trigonometric expression really… _what the fuck burns?_

Is it that clear bitter thing I gulped from those tiny little glasses? Or… um… maybe those tubes… yeah, yeah I think it was that.

Or the bronze stuff?

The tequila… hmm… could very well be the tequila.

Maybe just the beer.

Gotta' admit, I'm really hoping it's not that green thing from the decanter though… I kinda' liked it.

_Dammit… what burns?_

"Umm… Callie?"

I jerk my head up and blink to steady my suddenly quaking vision.

"Callie?"

It's so loud. I barely hear him.

What the hell is so frickin' loud?

The strangling, amplified hum of the many, many people is loud.

So is the music… it's like really, _really_ loud.

I think the stupid people are louder though, which is saying something, because the music is pretty damn loud.

"Callie!?"

"What… Jeff?" I growl – only slightly slurred.

"Joe – and your car keys?" He says with a deliberate smile, sticking his hand out.

"Hmm… what, why?" I have to squint to focus my gaze.

"Because – I'll be damned if the new Ortho. Doc cracks her skull open on my watch…" he says, leaning forward, zoning in on my eyes.

_What the fuck is he talking about?_

I open my mouth to argue, but somehow,

"Thank you", he says simply, jingling the shiny metal mid-air as he pours some of that blue stuff in another glass.

I pick up my mug after only 3 and a half failed attempts, and chug it down.

Something happened here, I don't really get it yet… but… my foot – it sort of slipped off the bar stool, I can still hear the cling of my heel hitting the leg of the seat; now, I don't know if it was before, or after I attempted to lean into the air behind me.

My hands, albeit inebriated, instinctively lurch out to grip the cool countertop, futile.

It felt like time slowed down.

My head was floating, watching my body succumb to gravity like a car crash in slow motion.

I could see it.

Hands slipping, foot slipping, me… _slipping._

I was falling, really hard.

But then I didn't.

"Hey - whoa… you okay?"

I hear it.

_What just happened?_

Then I feel it; warm support… I – I think it's… _hands_. Yes.

I feel hands, wrapped along the curve of my waist, just above my hips, fingers pressing into the flesh of my lower abdomen; my back, it's pushing against something – _someone _– soft… I can't tell - but it feels good…

"Calliope?"

I like the voice; it's… its gentle… moist against my ear.

I want to lean into the warmth, the security – it feels _so_ good.

Unfortunately, it's gone before I know it.

Without realizing it, my forearms are propped against the edge of the bar, all my weight pressing onto them.

I shut my eyes, I don't feel so good.

"Hey…" another soft whisper, "Callie…?"

It's from the side now, close.

So I turn my head to face it.

Blue eyes.

"Hi" I breathe out.

"Hi…" a soft reply slipping through the faintest of amused smiles.

I just look at her.

"You okay…?"

She leans close as if to observe me.

I blink a few times when I feel the slight spinning of my head.

"Calliope?" she repeats; she needs to stop, my stomach hurts listening to her voice.

"Shut up."

She just raises her eyebrows slightly, surprised, I think.

"I –" I rub my temple, "- I told you, not – do – don't say that…" a garbled, weak sentence.

I see her signal Jeff – _no, Jack _– for something.

"Here… " she passes a cold bottle of Avian to me, pouring it in an empty glass.

I don't remember taking it, but I do remember drinking some.

She just looks at me as though she can see through me, then smiles,

"You know Calliope –" she raises her eyebrows amusedly, "- if I didn't know any better – I'd say, you totally ditched me tonight." She says lightly.

I just knit my eyebrows and squint in concentration,

"What?"

I remember.

I cringe at the jolting memory.

"Mmm… " she smiles perceptively, but it fades away,"… what happened?" her tone shifting into a milder one.

I feel a painful tug in my abdomen; my gaze falls to my lap,

"Dammit!" she recoils at the sudden volume of my voice, "I – I, I dropped this – this stupid fucking stuff all over my…" I trail off, "… Tissue!" I yell to nobody in particular when I realize half the 'blue stuff' spilled all over my skirt… _perfect._

"Callie…"

"No! This – I " I blink through the sudden sting in my eye, "What the fuck Arizona!?" my head jerks back to look at her – the sudden movement making my vision whirl faster - then back to my stained skirt, "What. The. Fuck." I repeat.

She tilts her head, gaze focused on me.

"I – my –" I feel my voice tremble with anger, "- I, it's –" I shake my head, "- no… I can't catch a break. EVER!" I can feel the quiver of my heart, a slow burning reaching my ears, "How did this happen!?" my voice is louder, but not enough to even begin to compete with the buzz in the bar.

"How did what happen Callie?" she seems a little taken aback; but my anesthetized inhibitions keep me going.

"This!" I swipe my hand across my alcohol-damp suit, "My life is just –" I throw my hands in the air with a ridiculing scoff - a burst of laughter now… _Why not Torres, if you're going crazy, might as well go all the way…_

She almost hesitantly places her hand on my shoulder but I jerk it off,

"I – " I lick my lips, gasping through my irrational snicker, "- I came to – to this fucking, rainy piece-of-shit hell hole and – _still! _He – he – I want to get away from it!" my shaky voice rapidly escalating now, "I don't wanna' remember, I don't wanna think, I don't wanna feel, I don't wanna - I –" a soft, breathy sob escapes my mouth - I can't finish.

I open my mouth to talk but I can't, the pain in my throat culminating with every cry.

My head falls.

There it is, despite all the booze numbing my system, that debilitating wave of loneliness; it hits me again – like a stab in the gut.

I don't realize when it happened, but I feel arms, arms wrapped around me – the warmest arms.

Arizona's arms are slinked around my shoulder blades, pulling me close,

"Hey… shh…" her warm breath washes over my ear, "… you don't have to say anything" with that, I feel her open palm rub up and down my back.

I don't even know why I'm crying, just that the pressure in my throat and scorch in my eyes isn't letting me stop now.

I impulsively hold her against me, my fingers digging into her waist, our fronts pressed against each other, I can feel soft hair stroke the flesh of my cheeks; the contact is the only thing keeping me from _– I don't even want to know what. _I bury my face in the crook of her neck as my arms tighten around her torso, absorbing every ounce of solace I suddenly feel.

I feel another bout of weeping thrash my shaking body; immediately, I can feel her hold tighten.

I can barely hear the soothing mumblings against my neck… but I feel the humid air hitting the sensitive skin on my neck… and that's strangely comforting.

I don't know how long we stayed this way; but I know she held me, until my lungs stopped gasping for air.

Slowly, I feel my eyes dry, my heaving chest relaxes.

She gently pulls me from her embrace, hands gripping my biceps.

I can tell she's trying to look into my eyes, but I can't look up at her; the occasional hiccup still slipping from my lips.

She ducks her head to meet my gaze, "Callie…" another musical whisper.

I don't respond – partially because my neck feels too imbalanced to even move right now without detaching from my body.

She hands me a Kleenex.

A few embarrassing sniffles and wipes later, trying to concentrate my doubling gaze, I look up,

"Arizona…" it's a hoarse whisper, "I – I'm sorry" I say under my breath.

She knits her eyebrows, never taking her sight off of me,

"Why?"

I let out a deriding, animated laugh,

"Bec – I left… I didn't even say – I should have left a message or, or something…"

"Okay…" she says simply with an inconspicuous shrug of her shoulders.

"And – and, I –" I take a deep breath in and swallow, " – I just have some stuff… I – the Chief umm… Webber… I can't –" I shake my head, " – everything kinda' sucks" I meet her eyes, my filter completely thwarted, "I – uh - When I was pregnan – "

Her hand sliding up my knee interrupts me, "Stop, Callie…" she says softly.

She rests an open palm mid-thigh, "You've been drinking – you don't wanna' say things you'll regret telling me in the morning…" she says.

Trying to absorb her words, I put my hand over her's on my thigh, thumb grazing the back of her wrist… I choke back another lump in my throat.

She just smiles in return… pushing the bottle of water further in my direction, she takes her hand back.

A few moments of me composing myself – well, as much as I can with this much alcohol in my system – I sip some water.

I can tell she's staring at me, then finally,

"Callie, it's pretty late… can – do you want me to drop you home now?" a sincere question, briefly skimming her watch.

I subconsciously hurt at the thought of going back to that empty house, even despite an outburst which will probably lead me to crawling under a rock when I'm sober, I want to stay,

"No" I state simply.

"Okay… then – do you want me to call your husband and let him know? He must be worried sick…"

Another throaty chuckle escapes my mouth, this time, it's weary,

"My – my husband?" I lick my lips, trying to suppress another bout of mirth, "He's – at work…" I swallow – knowing _exactly _what '_work' _means.

She narrows her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows,

"We – well, then where's Allegra?" she tenses.

"At a sleepover…" I can hear my slur now, "… with – umm – with Allison" I struggle to keep my inebriated eyelids open, "Umm… Arizona – you – you can go… I'll be a while."

"I'm okay." She says.

"Seriously Arizona – go" my voice raises, eyes staring into her's.

She doesn't even flinch.

"No" she states matter-of-factly.

I try to stare her down but I guess the Torres glare isn't as effective drunk – because she doesn't so much as blink.

"Keep drinking the water Callie…" she pours me another glass…

I just narrow my eyes at her threateningly and then finally throw a glance around the room; if I were sober, I would have gasped at the startlingly small number of people around the previously over-flowing bar.

"Callie!"

"What!?" I growl at her.

"Water! I don't want you dying of alcohol poisoning… God knows how much of –" she looks at the light blue fluid like it's a disease and cringes, "- that… you had."

I can't help but smile at her antics; I swallow another half of the water, staring at her from over the rim of my glass.

"What…" she raises her eyebrows questioningly.

"My daughter, " I swallow, "She… she thinks you look like Cinderella " I say hoarsely. _Now, I know I'm treading into dangerous territory._

I just look at her, my eyes scanning her face like it's a baffling map.

I can't help but notice how much her blonde waves shine under the yellow Pendant lights hanging above the bar, the blue of her eyes sparkling in an unreal way, creamy skin with this natural gloss, pink lips – stark contrast to the other hues tinting her face – pink lips, I suddenly, all of a sudden have this intense craving to taste them.

I quickly shake my head to brush the thought off. _What the hell?_

She just laughs, "Yeah, I know – Teddy told me"

I raise my eyebrows, "Oh…" but then I cock my head to the side, as though absorbed in a physics scenario – adding a suggestive smirk to the equation, "… now, I didn't tell her – but, I think you're way, _WAY _too hot to be Cinderella…" _It's official. I should give up alcohol._

She just widens her eyes and tugs on her lower lip, almost suppressing a sheepish smile_._

I can't control my heavy gaze from flicking to her mouth… and I find myself mimicking the motion of her teeth, gently biting down on my own lip.

I should stop… but as most people make the brightest decisions when clobbered out of their minds… I continue.

"I mean, if Cinderella looked like that…?" I not so subtly look her up and down, "… it would be SO not PG! I – I bet guys wouldn't be watchin' G.I. Joe anymore!" I laugh out loud, snorting at my own apparent joke.

She ducks her head into her drink – and I _must_ be dying of alcohol poisoning here because I could swear the color of her face just changed…

After another few rounds of my drunk babbling, she almost hesitantly looks up at me and gestures for me to drink more – _good guess _– water.

"So… do you have a _boyfriend_?" I whisper the last part, very high school, leaning way too close to her.

She just widens her eyes and erupts into laughter like it's the most ridiculous idea,

"Uhh – ha – nope…" she says through her snicker.

I just knit my eyebrows, clearly drunk me doesn't like to be laughed at, I open my mouth to speak but,

"Alright ladies – closin' up shop now." I vaguely here Jack – _no, Jay _– announce from somewhere behind me.

"Nooooooooo!" I whine like a spoilt brat at a Toys R' Us.

Arizona is clearly holding in a laugh as she collects our things and waves at Jay – _no, no yeah, Jay _

"Okay… Callie, you think you can get up?" she's standing behind me.

I dramatically spin around on the bar stool, her thighs touching my knees now, and let out an animated scoff,

"Of _course _I can get up…"

Turns out I was wrong – alcohol, pencil skirts and emotionally unstable people in fact do _not _mix.

I very _heavily _leaned on Arizona the entire time we managed to stumble into a cab – I can't even recall how we got there.

"Where to?" the grumpy cab driver grunts.

Arizona looks at me expectantly, "Where… do you live?"

I just fold my arms across my chest defensively and scowl, "I don't wanna' go home yet!"

"Calliope…" she puts her hand on my arm, "… you have work tomorrow, your first day, you don't want to be facing a nasty hangover _plus _sleep deprivation." She says softly, trying to meet my adamant gaze.

When I finally give in, turns out I can't exactly remember my address. Apparently my ID card had it and Arizona somehow maneuvered all that information into the now-very-crabby cab driver.

The drive went by without a lot of chat, I just remember feeling increasingly nauseous – unforeseen amounts of alcohol and bumpy car rides? Bad combination.

The only highlight was the cool night air hitting my face; it made me sober up a little… only to replay tonight with a _whole _new perspective.

_Oh. My. God. _

I can feel my face burn up with embarrassment at the memory; I shut my eyes praying to God it was just a bad dream.

_I sobbed like an emotionally damaged toddler clinging on to a total stranger._

I'm going to throw up.

_That wasn't enough for me, of course, I had to seal it all off by making sexually promiscuous vaguely homosexual comments about a Children's story!_

Where is that rock I mentioned earlier?

I will my head to turn away from the window to face her, vision still fuzzy from the over consumption of the 'blue stuff'.

I may seriously die of mortification.

"Arizona?" I break the silence.

She turns around, "Hmm?"

I swallow, "You – umm… you can totally pretend like you don't know me tomorrow – free pass."

She just laughs, "Umm… you lost me."

I glare at her, " Wh – I – we met like yesterday and I practically smothered you and –" just saying it makes me want to vomit, "- and god knows did what else. I'm sure you caught on to the part where I'm a crazy lunatic by now…" I trail off with a tired chuckle.

She just raises her eyebrows and smiles in the most endearing way,

"Callie… you're not crazy." She says simply, "And I almost fainted of hypoglycemia today, so I think it's only fitting that you have an alcohol-induced breakdown" she sniggers.

I can't help but smile at her. If it weren't so dark, I would have noticed her eyes focus on my lips.

I just look at her, "So… you're saying – we're even?" I add a playful glint.

"Mhmm… completely." She responds with a vertical headshake.

I smile, us slipping into another contemplating silence.

My house is kind of on the outskirts of the city, so it takes a while.

"I see what you did there…" I say accusingly, turning toward the blonde again.

"What…"

"You evened the score cause' you wanted a get out of jail free card about the peanut butter cups!" I say in mock-shock.

"Ah' you caught me" she plays along.

"Red handed…" I complete with a smirk and an eyebrow raise.

The switch in the texture under the car arouses me.

We are going up a gravelly path, it's all very long-windy-road and welcome-to-Hogwarts as the car treks over the soft hill leading up to my _very _secluded house.

As the cab stops, I turn to face a rather shocked Arizona whose gaze is latched on my rather dramatic house.

"Arizona?"

He head jerks to face me,

"Callie? _This _is your house?" she says in slow motion for theatrical effect.

"Mhm" I mumble sheepishly.

_People knowing about my financial status is just something which always kind of made me uncomfortable… leaves a lot of room for judgement._

"Wha -? I didn't even know this place existed in Seattle! It's like Dracula's mansion!" not even trying to hide her surprise now.

"Or my husband's… same thing…" _I cannot believe I just said that._

I can see her expression sober; her stifled astonishment at my words doesn't escape me, but she doesn't press the subject.

After I not-so-gracefully stagger out of the cab, I have to clutch on to the car door to steady my sudden imbalance.

"Hey, you okay?" Arizona hurriedly rounds the car.

I blink a few times to still my gaze, "Umm… yeah – just – you know? Drunk out of my mind…" I chortle.

She ducks to the front window to face the driver, "I'll be a minute kay'? Rosewood Drive 315?"

"Umm… what do you mean you'll be a minute? You – you're not coming in?" I knit my eyebrows.

"No, Callie, I – its super late and –"

"No! Arizona, it's the least I can do… please." Even I can hear the desperation in my voice; I don't know what that's about yet.

She just smiles uneasily, "Callie, I'd love to stay but – I have a messy Stoma on a 9 year old to resect at 7:30 in the morning and –" she looks down to her wrist, "- since it's way past midnight already, I should really get back to the hospital… and you? You, _really _need your rest." She says with so much warmth in her voice, it almost makes me cry right there.

"I –" I open my mouth to argue, but I know she's right, "- okay… but – you have to – to come over soon" I don't know why the prospect of her leaving all of a sudden is so daunting; the lump in my throat is threatening to choke me all of a sudden.

"Of course I will Calliope…" she says softly.

Our only source of light is the full moon; the dark house signaling my husband is still _hard _at work.

"C'mon, I'll walk you to the door." She slips her hand around my waist for support.

I would have argued, but judging by my traumatized co-ordination, I would have probably fallen flat on my face without her help.

We surprisingly safely reach the well-lit porch, walking along the pebbled path from the entrance to my house (read: VonTrapp Villa, not as Rogers & Hammerstein, but you get the idea).

"Okay, then… drink lots of water and… yeah…" she trails off.

We just stand facing each other parallel to my door, _very _awkward first date-ish, which is absurd.

"I'll see you tomorrow…" I muster a smile; the idea of being alone with my thoughts makes me want to die.

She looks really, _really _pretty though… I can't seem to get over that.

With that, she turns around and starts toward the steps.

I feel this familiar weight settle in my chest making it difficult to breathe,

"Arizona…" my voice is shaky.

She turns around, the cool night breeze making her blonde wavy hair dance in the most ethereal way.

I can hear the wind rustle through the thick, surrounding patch of trees.

I lick my lips and attempt to swallow through my bizarre overflowing emotions, "Thank you…" I breathe out as I shakily stumble toward her.

She smiles this deep, lingering smile…

And in that one moment – in spite of the cold and the dark and all the bad things - one smile of Arizona Robbins can make everything better…

It's like… _magic._

I'm looking at her, looking at her turn and walk and disappear… I can't stop looking…

I don't remember how I found the keys, or got through the front door or walked up the stairs or hurled in the coat closet.

I don't remember when I started appreciating that I was startlingly alone, or when Chief Webber's conversation began persistently replaying in my head, or when I realized that if I discount Allegra, this is how my life will always be…

I don't remember when I started accepting it… or when I began longing for that smile…

But I'm in bed now, under the softest Egyptian cotton imaginable to man – so warm… yet so _not._

* * *

**A/N:** So, what did you guys think? Let me hear it...


	6. Author's Note 1

**A/N:**

****Hey guys… I am sorry, I know I haven't updated in a while. It's just that I started writing, then got the flu and then got piled under a HUGE number of projects and stuff – just when that got better… the season 10 sneak peak happened :'( So, I really just couldn't focus on the story – and the premier isn't making things any better for me either haha… but anyways, I'm halfway through the next chapter, so I'll try writing some more today. I know where the story is heading, I know what is going to happen, so that's a non-issue, but putting it into words and _feeling _it, after the premier will be hard.

To the Anonymous Reviewer: Hey, thank you so much for that review, sometimes I need that kind of a push and I am _so _glad people do care about this story as much as I do – I was just a little bit pre-occupied - By no means does this mean I am dis-continuing the story… I love it so much and let's face it… after _that _heart crushingly miserable Calzona scene in the episode… we _all _need a little bit of happiness. I'll try to update in a couple of days.

Side note: 

Okay so if you're still reading… I just _have _to talk about the premier a little bit.

So in my opinion that was a really good episode, a little choppy at places, but _excellent _over all. LOVED the Meredith Christina Alex 'Old times' –esque scenes. Bailey and Christina hugging (Need I say anything? 3). Plus, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually didn't completely loathe the interns! Props to the writers for that… The Richard, Bailey, Meredith scenes were purely heart-touching, Katherine Avery – refreshing as always. It made us smile, cry and laugh in a heartbeat in regular Grey's fashion.

(Sorry for my Kindergarten writing here, but I'm trying to keep this apt, if I go into detail – this might just turn out longer than the story).

As for the tears – I'm afraid we owe all of them to Calzona. I was like "WHAAA-!? NO!" But after I calmed down haha - despite Arizona's ridiculous "I think this will make us stronger" and the smiles and perkiness, I think it was _impeccably _written and just _amazingly _acted because to me, the PTSD is definitely evident (Avoidance 101). I can't say I support Callie's public declaration of their problems either – but people do crazy things when they are hurt. I found their reactions pretty natural (Taking into account the PTSD). Can't say _how _glad I am Callie didn't resort to keeping Sofia away – that would have been low – even if she was pissed out of her mind; absolutely loved the Meredith and Christina support here. I watched the whole episode and I was like "Wow… we got through this – only a couple of tears… it's all good..." and then… that fateful last scene… I didn't even realize I was sobbing until Arizona ended with "Because you're my girl".

SaRa and Jessica _killed _it like only they do.

Anyways, I'm going to restrain myself and end this here – all in all, in spite of everything, I do honestly believe Callie and Arizona are "_MFEO". _I cannot wait to see where this season takes us, it's going to go places... Season 10 – bring it :D

Again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews, hope you guys stick around!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

**Title: **Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating: **T - M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

**Made for entertainment purposes only.**

**A/N: **Hey, guys… I won't say much. Just that I'm extremely sorry for how long it took to update this time. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and I hope you continue with all the feedback.

* * *

Arizona's POV

Surgeons – we are arrogant, sanctimonious, conceited _geniuses_.

We _defy_ gravity. We _fight_ the inevitable. We _rule_ the O.R.

Blood, guts and disease – they are _our_ bitches.

We are frickin' _awesome_.

The sun revolves on our whim; we close our eyes and its night, we open them - and its day.

We are – _Gods_.

That is how I feel today – like a God.

I walked on water; I parted the Red Sea…

Meaning…

I performed a myriad of back-to-back surgeries on the tiniest humans, _every _one of them as successful as the last. A huge car pile-up on Route 4 resulted in a triple MVA with two _entire_ school buses rolling over.

This, of course, was bad.

Because it meant more number of hurt, injured innocent children than I would like to acknowledge.

But, our team – the Seattle Grace Mercy West Pediatric Surgery Department kicked Death's ass today.

We did.

Of course, it was all hands on deck – but I still feel like a God.

Something about standing in that O.R. holding that sharp blade, draped in sterilized blue, wrapped in latex – it is a feeling you can only ever _feel_.

The _power_, the _passion_, the _oath_ you took ages ago – it rings madness in your head.

The kids lived – because of _us_.

Because we _are - _in fact - arrogant, sanctimonious, conceited geniuses.

* * *

I honestly have no flipping clue as to when I reported in to work today.

The concentrated oxygen, _that _surgery smell… it puts you in a daze – an adrenaline rush of sorts. Where you cut and close like you were _meant _to be doing it your whole life, where sleep, hunger and air is a mere back-of-the-head flitting thought.

It's a dream-like state.

Of course, when you put down that scalpel, when you scrub out, when you step amongst the Earthly people – _that _rush begins to evaporate… and just like that… you aren't God anymore.

You are just a proud, happy human being.

As I exit the Waiting room, after giving worried to death parents the news they've been violently praying for, my rush begins to wear off…

Rounding the Peds. corridor, the burn in my flexing thigh muscles becomes apparent, the exhaustion washing over me once again – exhaustion which is only burgeoned by the sleep deprivation.

The last time I sat down was last night – midnight – whatever… can't even remember.

My legs begin to feel like dead weight, my eyelids heavy with fatigue; head devoid of any pertinent thought other than mentally running through my post op notes.

It felt like long, painful miles I had to trudge through the sand to reach my destination – the Nurses' Station – I have to sign off on a huge tower of pending charts… the _dark _side of multiple traumas.

An animatedly heavy exhalation escapes my lips as I pick up half the heap of unwelcome clipboards. _I never really cared much for administrational crap…_

The charts feel heavier than they should.

With that thought, I decide to take the weighty stack of clipboards back to the Attendings' Lounge to finish off, dragging my Heely-clad feet in the appropriate direction.

I am _seriously _drained.

But I love this drain – it's the good kind of drain.

Nonetheless, I need to take a break, and I need to eat something… wouldn't want another embarrassing hypoglycemic episode in front of – _oh my gosh…_

My gait involuntarily slows down.

_Its Callie's first day._

That had _completely _slipped my mind – until now… _wonderful._

I can feel my stomach clench as my head falls back into the _one _thought I really didn't want to think about.

I can't really identify what I feel right now.

Am I happy, sad… indifferent?

_Nope, none of the above._

The thing is, before last night, Callie was just a hot – _correction: really, __**really **__hot – _woman I was drooling over like a patient loose from the psych ward. Regardless, that was _it_.

I liked her disposition, of course, she is confident, charming, intelligent, vibrant and what have you… she's got a brain to match that delicious exterior - and so I was ready, _excited _even, to be her friend; but I'd be lying if the thought of a one night drunken stand with the hot straight woman hadn't run through my mind once or twice. I planned to flirt, just a little, and if she was open minded and _fluid _enough… we could have had a little bit of fun.

Then, I remembered that she was married… with a _child… _now that complicates things. I may be a lot of things but I am _not_ a cheater, I do not cheat _on _or help anyone cheat.

So, we are back to being friends, and I was fine with having only that part of her.

But then… last night happened.

She was drunk, sad and alone – that combination in anyone is good enough to make me run for the hills. And if _that _weren't enough, she cried… a _lot_.

Crying makes me uncomfortable.

It's fine with kids and their parents even, because they're worried; it's my job to deal with crying parents – I'm really good at it too. But, that's different, it's in a neutral practiced setting, you are a medical professional speaking to your sick patient and their anxious support system.

But crying adults in my personal life…? It just makes me feel… _icky_. Like when you see your dad cry; it seems unnatural, almost frightening… like you're afraid to be exposed to so many emotions.

Even when my brother died, my father barely shed a tear – _in public at least_ - because we don't do that.

Which is what brings me back to the point, Callie started to cry and… I have _never _felt something like that…

All I wanted to do was hold her because seeing her cry, so alone and vulnerable? It was _physically _painful to watch.

I wasn't uncomfortable or awkward; I didn't want to run… I just wanted to hug her and make her feel okay… and so I did, I held her until she needed me to hold her.

But that look in her eyes? That sad, hurt loneliness… I can't forget it.

Albeit the inebriated banter and laughter afterwards, _that _look didn't escape me.

It's so excruciatingly silly, I don't know the woman, I know nothing past of what an acquaintance would… but I_ know _I never want to see her like _that _again.

And that thought scares the living daylights out of me.

So, I guess what I'm saying is… I don't know when it happened… whether it was when I felt her body against mine, or when she wistfully smiled in the cab… or when she asked me not to leave – but I like her.

I like her more than a friend should.

Now, she works here, so I have to see her every day from today.

"ZONA!"

The voice makes me recoil just as I'm about to pull the doorknob of the Attending's Lounge.

I make a 180° turn and… _dammit._

"Sam…" I smile sheepishly trying to steady the wobbling charts, "…wha –"

"Shut up!" she interrupts, eyes bulging, nostrils flared, "You know, you may be a _doctor_ and I may be "just" –" she says in a ridiculing tone with air-quotes, "- a nurse but you did _not _have any right to do that!"

_What the hell…_

I throw a quick glance around to see if anyone's listening as I hesitantly step closer to the huffing nurse,

"Look Sam… I don't know what –"

"I just sat there Zona'! You said you were gettin' the drinks and then never came back!" her anger mixing with some humiliation at my vexed expression.

I knit my eyebrows to try and get the faintest grasp over what in hell this woman was talking about, and then… it hits me – _crap _-

"Oh, oh m – my god Sam I'm so sorry –" I shake my head in disbelief, "- I was distracted and… and I –"

"No! YOU approached me! YOU approached me and then started sucking face with that Ortho whore!?" Her hands fisted and upper body leaning toward me.

"Hey wow – she's _not _and – and I – I wasn't -" I whisper with another cursory glance,"- sucking face with her!" I struggle to keep my voice down, a clear contrast to my friend here.

A few questioning glances from passersby later, she takes a step forward, then another one, closing the gap between us, I can almost feel her hot irregular breath on my face, I'd be lying if I said she wasn't a little intimidating.

She drastically lowers her voice to a bitter slow paced whisper zoning in on my face,

"_You_ may think every woman out their wants your hands in her pussy Arizona… but count me _out_ – Fuck. You. Doctor. Robbins." Ever the articulate Sam…

With that, she whirls around on her heel and stomps away the way she came – I just stand there. I'm way, _way _too tired to process any of that right now.

But I know one thing; I'm _definitely _stripped of my Godly status.

I don't realize I'm pressed against the door of the Attendings' Lounge until the door knob jabs me in the small of my back,

"OW! What the -" I yelp, instinctively hopping away, charts toppling all over the floor; I shoot an accusatory glare at the culprit.

I open my mouth, ready to give the person who assaulted me with the door a piece of my mind, but I feel my stomach drop when the _one _person more intimidating that the Chief of Surgery walks out with an equally critical glare zoning in on me.

"Doc – Doctor Bailey…" I breathe out; I can feel my mouth go dry when I realize she probably heard the most vulgar parts of my rather crass conversation with _Nurse _Sam.

_I like having women in my bed – heck' I love it - but I'm not a huge fan of sharing my experiences with others – especially not with brash, nerve-racking General Surgeons…_

I'm positive I look like a deer caught in the headlights.

She just holds the door wide open, clearly not ready to be the first one to drop her stare.

I swallow sheepishly, words begin to fly out of my mouth before I know it, "Do – Doctor Bailey, that –the –that, she – we –"I lick my lips followed by an awkward laugh, _get a hold of yourself Arizona_, "- We only ha – slept toge –" _What are you saying!?_

A harsh show of her hand, holding it up as if to halt a speeding truck stops me dead in my tracks,

"Doctor Robbins –" she pronounces deliberately, giving me a look only _the Nazi_ can pull off, "- I do not have the slightest bit of interest in hearing about –" she drops her hand, "-_that_… "enunciating the 't', " - I already know much more than I - _ever_ - wanted to about that horny posse of teenagers I got for interns –" Her intense stare not softening in the slightest, "Just – don't block the door."

And just like that, she disappears down the hallway, muttering something about "Doctors…" and "My ass…" under her breath.

_That did not just happen…_

I can feel my face scald with mortification.

_Damn, that woman can make Mary Poppins cry…_

It takes me a second to snap out of the progressively unfortunate events of the last three minutes before I notice the randomly arranged array of Post-Op charts scattered across the white hospital marble.

_Crap, I'm positive Sam will make sure half the hospital learns about this…"sucking face with Ortho whore" pchh_… _I wish…_

With that thought, I squat down, aggravating the lactic acid running through my sore muscles as I start collecting the dispersed clipboards.

_I really, really don't want to fall into the Slutty Attendings' Club… God knows this hospital isn't short of those – sometimes I wonder how they manage to find time to practice medicine around here between the skulking across On-Call rooms and getting Syphilis shots – every corner you turn, there's someone or the other being slammed up against the wall… _

I try to sheepishly avoid a few questioning glares from onlookers as I pant, trying to juggle all the charts in my arms, bending from the waist forward in a duck-walk position.

_Ew… God Forbid I ever get associated with the likes of… Mark Sloan… Uhgg I mean I get more women that he __**ever **__will, but I opt to leave it at home – or in a bathroom stall – not here at work!_

"Umm… Need some help?"

I can feel a small breath catch somewhere in my throat.

I don't think she noticed, but my entire body subconsciously halted into submission for a heartbeat.

Then, out of nowhere I'm suddenly _very _aware of my not so graceful position with one arm outstretched across the floor reaching for a far-away chart, consequently pushing my navy scrub pants-clad butt halfway up in the air – _who are we kidding I'm in a very strange semi-doggy paddle position –_ and she is right behind me… _fabulous._

Another bout of the barely dissipated heat spreads across my cheeks in full force as the charts retrieved in my arms come clanging back down to the floor – my head spins around in one swift motion to look up to the woman in question,

"Calliope…" I breathe out; now, despite the highly disconcerting position I am in, despite the notes scattered across the floor, despite my sheer fear of getting anymore further swooned by one Calliope Torres – I can't help my pupils quickly rake in the image before me.

That illegal pair of tanned legs draped in a dark grey wool blend Houndstooth pencil dress tapering off just below the knee gives me an illusory view of those shapely calves – calves further accentuated by open toed black-suede stilettoes, the color highlighting the Aperitif Red painted across her toes peeking out the front of her heels… A color, I'm afraid, awfully similar to the one splattered across my face when my eyes trail up the crocheted fabric of the dress tightening along those glorious hips in a way unimaginable to man… A color which is only deepened when I realized I was _gawking…_**_and…_**that my own ass, in fact, was still hanging halfway up in the air.

Before I can snap my eyes shut and hop up to a less awkward position, she quickly rounds me and crouches down on her knees, bending down to a position mimicking mine.

_Not helping._

The dark wool cradling those soft, warm breasts cutting into a shallow V-neckline teases me with the most tormenting glimpse of that honey tinted cleavage pressing against the cotton as she bends her torso forward to help gather some papers.

I have to physically remind myself to swallow the extra fluid collected in my mouth.

"Thank you…" I exhale sheepishly, for some reason, really fascinated by the floor below me as I begin to gather the fallen charts at a much faster-than-required pace.

"So… how did this happen?" she asks with a casual snicker.

_Stop bending woman…_

"I – ya' know… I just –" I laugh, still avoiding the woman squatting (well as best she can in that dress) before me, " – I – they slipped."

"O-kay…" she knits her manicured eyebrows, "You okay? Arizona?"

"Umm yeah – I'm great!" I shoot a quick glance and an animatedly wide smile at her, "Why wouldn't I be?" with some extra perk this time.

"Arizona…" her tone morphing into a slightly apprehensive one.

"Hmm?" I raise my head at sloth pace.

"Just – "she swallows, "Last night… I don't know what to say…" her eyes flicker reflectively across the corridor as she trails off.

_Dammit… there's that look again…_

"Hey… Hey Calliope –" now I look into her eyes, my voice softening, "- it's okay… really…"

"Yeah…?" she hesitantly meets my gaze.

"Yeah…" I say with a soft smile.

"So, I didn't completely scare you off?" she says self-consciously with an apologetic smile.

"Nope… not _completely_" I show my dimples impishly.

"Gee thanks…" she says with mock-offense and the beginning of a chuckle as we both get up having cleared the floor of any stray charts.

"You… Calliope Torres, are a _very _entertaining drunk person" I say matter-of-factly as we walk into the Attendings' Lounge.

"Oh God…" she scoffs embarrassedly, "Don't even remind me! This pounding headache is good enough of a memory" she groans, placing the charts down on a table.

I just chuckle in response,

"_You_ are hung over right now?"

"Uhh – yeah, hung over is an understatement to what I am right now…" we both sink into two of the chairs bordering the wooden desk, "… I'm practically functioning on a double shot of espresso since that damn bus crash woke me up at 5 A.M. in the morning" she signals to the white coffee cup in her hand.

"Well, I wouldn't know it, you look amazing" _Ooops, that wasn't supposed to come out, _my eyes widen, "F – for a drun – a hung over person, you look amazing…" _Atta' Girl… nice save._

"Mmm…" she takes another long drag of the steaming liquid, "…well I don't feel it" seemingly oblivious to my little slip-up, "So much for my _first day… _I pissed off like five nurses already and made two interns cry… _and_ a ruptured superficial _scalp _lac. –" she scorns, "- sprayed blood all over my lab coat – _first day…_"

I chortle; picking a chart from the top of my pile as Callie begins to jot down some stuff in a leather bonded Agenda Planner.

"Hey, my first day – " I throw a sideways glance at her, "- showed up late, had 5 back-to-back surgeries on tiny, tiny, _tiny _humans which resulted in me _sobbing _in the On-Call room after –" I can see her raise her eyebrows amusedly through her file, "The Chief of Surgery then caught me having sex with an _intern _in the Janitor's Closet –" this catches her attention as her head snaps up to face me, "Yup… and that was _after _I crashed into him skating down the catwalk on my Wheelies – so, _you_ –?" I look up at her shocked expression, "- My friend… are one lucky person."

She just stares at me bemusedly, then blinks,

"Wh - Are you serious?" she asks wide-eyed, with the innocence of a child learning the truth about Santa Claus.

I face her and throw my hugest dimpled smile,

"Nope! My first day was awesome – I was awesome – interns, nurses, patients, residents – everyone loved me!"

I can see her astonishment morph into animated insult,

"Evil…" she narrows her eyes with mock-shock.

"But… made you look!" I burst into a proud chortle.

"Ha- Ha-" she deadpans, "Very funny… _Anyways –" _she tries to ignore the proud leer on my face as she looks back in her book, "Hit me…"

I sober, "Excuse me?"

"Last night… what did I say?" she raises her eyebrows as if it were the most obvious thing to say… _Oh silly me…_

"Umm… nothing I don't – nothing really…" I say off-handedly, getting back to my charts.

"Arizona –" she glares at me, "I talk – when I'm drunk – I talk… _a lot_. So, what did I say?" she repeats.

I slowly look up at her and lick my lips, "Well… you –"

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait…!" she alarmingly interrupts me.

Startled widened blue eyes are my response.

"Is it _extremely _embarrassing? Like – like 'I saw you pretend to be Wonder Woman in the bathroom mirror' embarrassing?" she cringes.

I just shoot her a '_Seriously?' _glance.

_Great, because that's what I need – an image of Callie in a Wonder Woman costume… perfect._

"What…? It was a phase…" she says sheepishly, ducking her head inducing a stifled giggle from me, "Shut up! Just – was it embarrassing or –"

"You said I look like Cinderella…" I say casually with a shoulder shrug.

I can see her freeze for a second, "Wh – what?" her voice falls deeper.

"Cinderella, you know? Pumpkin, sparkly ball-gown, evil step-mother, glass shoe… fairy godmo-"

"Yeah, yeah I know who Cinderella is Arizona…" she says a little irritably as she breaks eye-contact and ducks her head back down to what she was writing.

_Is she embarrassed?_

"Actually…" I say, breaking the out-of-place silence, "… you said your _daughter _thinks I look like Cinderella…" another shrug of my shoulder as I sign a chart.

If I looked up I would have seen her release a small relieved breath through her mouth as she looks back up at me,

"Oh! Yeah… Allegra, sh – she does and she's like obsessed with –"

"You said I was hotter than her" I look up at her from my chart with a puckish smile.

Again, she's caught off-guard; she knits her eyebrows, "Th – than…? Tha –"

"Than Cinderella…" I complete nonchalantly, struggling to still the bubbling laughter in the back of my throat.

She just looks at me with a blend of surprise and fretfulness, eyes wide, for a second, I think she's going to bolt or something, but instead,

"Well…" she ponders, "- you are" she says casually, the flash of uncertainty having been replaced by her usual air of confidence.

Now it's my turn to be startled… _Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, a NOT drunk Calliope Torres thinks I'm hotter than Cinderella!_

I just shift uncomfortably in my seat trying to smother the self-indulgent, impressionable teenager in my head.

We fall into another not-very-comfortable silence, the Attendings' Lounge surprisingly empty other than a couple of Residents buried in scut for their Attendings… _Damn – I should make Karev do this crap…_

"So you guys wear scrubs all day here?" she asks.

"Umm… yeah –" I knit my eyebrows, "- I mean, obviously, right?"

She just raises her eyebrows and offers a breathy chuckle indicating to her outfit.

Although it's probably burned into my head now, I take this chance to trail over the slate-colored long-sleeved office dress clinging onto her body… _You know what they say, when opportunity knocks on your door… make lemonade…_

"Oh yeah… why are you wearing that?" realization dawns on me. _Not that I mind…_

"Well, back in Miami – at Jackson Memorial – we had a policy, change out of scrubs into your civil clothes as soon as you scrub out… something about seeming more professional –"she scoffs, "- as if when someone you love is lying on that table, being cut into with a knife – you care about the surgeon's fashion statement…" she trails off with a deriding sideways shake of her head.

"Mmm…" I smile, "Well, you can wear scrubs here – more efficient and definitely more comfortable…"

"Yeah…" she smiles with an almost pensive eyebrow raise, "… starting tomorrow"

After a few moments of rather contented silence,

"Arizona…" she puts down the silver pen in her hand, as she looks up at me thoughtfully.

"Yeah?"

"Umm…" she swallows, those evocative eyes now melting into mine, I can't shift my gaze even if I tried, "…thank you, for last night… I – I have to thank you bec – because –" she clears her throat, "- it – I -it was just a bad day…" she ends on a hoarse, shaky note.

I force a smile, almost haunted by the amount of emotions swirling in the depth of her eyes, "Hey… we all have bad days…" there's that feeling, I want to hug her again, _What the hell is the matter with me?! _"You have nothing to apologize for Callie…"

She smiles this absorbed, rich smile… and I can't help but wonder – What the hell happened to this usually vivacious, bright, gorgeous woman to make her feel like this?

My eyes involuntarily make another journey over those beautiful, dusky features; my fingers want to trail across that smooth tan skin, they want to feel those full claret lips, they want to run through that jet-black hair…

I suddenly want to tuck that lock of stray hair behind her ear, but her blaring pager snaps me back into reality.

"Aw… crap" she growls, already halfway across the room, "Post-op complications, I'll see you around?" she turns around to look at me just as she's about to pull the door handle, an expecting look on her face.

"Lunch" I confirm with a smile.

Returning my beam, she disappears; oblivious to my erratic heartbeat…

_What am I? Happy, sad… indifferent?_

_I'm scared…_

* * *

When you're a doctor, the words 'Lunch, dinner, breakfast, good night, good morning' amongst others, have no meaning what-so-ever, because as a doctor… you get hungry – you eat, sleepy – you sleep… when you find the time to pee or take a shower – that's when you do it, it's not like the non-medical world. There is no set-in-stone time – but in spite of all of that… the hospital cafeteria follows the outside world to the T.

They are always fully stocked with food, mind you, that's not what I'm talking about. But what I mean is, the hospital cafeteria is the most crowded during lunch and dinner – I don't know why or how – but it is… which is why we doctors end up saying those words anyways.

Right now, it's _lunch_ time at Seattle Grace Mercy West.

The cafeteria is filled with an obscene amount of people – off of Google Earth, it'd probably look like a small ocean what with the various shades of blue bustling around in a large room, discounting the few odd civilians here and there.

It is loud and noisy, almost like a bird sanctuary – competitive, scalpel hungry, gossipy birds that sleep around a lot and then discuss it over food. I even remember hearing something about Christina Yang and her friends comparing a burger and fry to some sort of a sexual position… if we weren't so damn good… it'd be hard to believe we are doctors.

But we are, in fact, doctors and it is lunch time… meaning Teddy had to wrestle for a round table which we reserved for ourselves like a bunch of snobby 'cool' kids in high school.

"I don't know Arizona… there's just – he's going through some stuff and Christina doesn't get it – but I do… it's confusing and tiring –" Teddy takes a weary bite out of her soggy sandwich, "- I –let's change the subject." She winces at the texture of the food in her mouth.

"Mmk… "I say through the straw, slurping my soda noisily, "… I hate saying this Teddy – but the sandwich? I told you so…" I sneer smugly.

She swallows her morsel like she's swallowing glass and glares at me, "Shut up – you love saying it you smartass..." she takes a long gulp out of her water bottle washing her mouth out.

I just offer a bigger leer in response as I try to stab a limp leaf claiming to be lettuce with a plastic fork.

We slip into easy conversation, Teddy and I have been friends for about five to six years, since she moved here from Iraq. I don't know whether it is the Army/Navy background or what… but Teddy and I clicked, instantly, and we have been friends ever since.

"I – I mean I don't know what to think Teddy! She is just _so SO _extremely pretty and I can't stop thinking about it! Like she's talking and I just see that beautiful mouth move –"

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyy Dr. Torres!" Teddy animatedly interrupts me with eyes as wide as a meth-junkie and a matching beam… _subtle as a gun that Theodora…_

Nonetheless, I feel butterflies flutter somewhere inside me, nerves or excitement… I can't identify them yet.

"Hey Calliope!" I smile as she makes her way to our table and pulls a chair.

"Arizona, hey…" she says tiredly sinking into a chair beside Teddy opposite from me, but offers that unreal smile, you know, the one that makes you stop and stare like an idiot?

"HEY!" Teddy seems to be having trouble toning it down, and I have to nudge her with my foot to make her cut it out, she just glares at me with the same baked expression, "So… how's your first day going?"

Callie offers a fatigued chuckle, "God… I don't even know where to start –" she looks at me with a knowing smile and I can't help but return it, as Callie continues, Teddy just looks at me and mouths 'CALLIOPE!?' amusedly.

Callie, undeterred, proceeds"- AND I think I got the dumbest scrub nurse ever! I mean, she was like a toddler. She couldn't even tell a Babcock from an Anastomosis, so when I yell at her sh –" Callie stops abruptly when she sees Teddy choke down another bite of her sandwich, "Ooooh… yeah –" she cringes, "- sandwich? Bad idea…"

"Mmmm… so I hear –" Teddy shoots another questioning smile at me.

"Uhgg… was it Natalie? The scrub nurse?" I ask, ignoring Teddy.

Callie seems to deliberate for a moment knitting her eyebrows as she slurps her iced-tea, "Umm… no, I think it was Casey or Ca- Cas –"

"Mmm… Cassandra – "Teddy makes a face, "- she's awful. Made me search for a gel pad for _17 minutes_ in a patient's chest cavity before realizing it was still attached to her clamp"

"Yeah… that's the one" Callie deadpans.

"How's your headache?" I ask over the rim of my paper cup.

"Better…" she smiles awkwardly, "Actually no, it isn't –"she says through a chuckle.

"Yeah well… you could lie down or something… there's On-Call rooms wh–"

"But I'd knock, a LOT before going in"

All of us turn to face the redheaded gynecologist, who interrupted me walking toward us with a tray of salad and a _very _disturbed expression,

"Walked in on April Kepner, "The Virgin" " She says with air quotes and an eyebrow raise, "With Jackson Avery…" she pulls up a chair and slinks in next to Callie, "Virgin _Puh-leez…"_

Callie just politely clears her throat.

"Oh! Oh, oh my gosh! Hey! Sorry… I was traumatized for a second –" she turns toward Callie and offers a hand, "I'm Addison Montgomery, Neo-natal surgery"

Callie smiles _that_ smile as she takes her hand, "Callie Torres, Ortho"

"Ahh' so you're the famous hot new Attending…" Addison says with too much intrigue for a straight woman, studying the brunette. _Damn… wish I could say it that easily…_

Teddy shoots me a mocking glare.

Callie just smiles a sheepish one, "That would be me, yes… wait, _Addison Montgomery_?" she knits her eyebrows in concentration as she bites her lip, "Oh my God! You wrote the lead paper on Mckusick-Kaufman Syndrome!? I knew your name sounded familiar!"

"Yeah!" Addison chuckles, "_That _would be me… "

We effortlessly slip into light conversation about our favorite O.R. nurses and who the bitchiest one is, so on and so forth, and before we know it – Owen Hunt and Miranda Bailey have joined in as well.

After quick introductions, we begin to scrutinize the neighboring table, consisting of Meredith Grey, Christina Yang, Lexie Grey, Alex Karev (my pediatric prodigy) huddling together like a tight-knit group of college kids; Owen of course, defending the famous Cardiothoracic Surgeon-in-the-making.

Owen and Teddy seem engaged in some awkward staring thing; Bailey and the hot redhead are discussing the budget issues with Callie.

Callie and I don't directly talk much discounting a few comments made to the general public on the table, but she seems to be taking it all in like the new kid should.

Everyone seems to love her, Callie has this thing, like a charm or vivacity or something… where you look at her when she enters the room; even if it's a mere second glance, but you have to look twice. She can make someone completely engrossed in what she's saying simply by how she laughs or smiles, it's an intoxicating blend of intelligence and allure… and if that that doesn't work, those eyes are a sure shot.

Before Teddy could make another crack about how Jackson Avery, the pretty, dumb pseudo-blonde knocked over another sutures tray in her O.R.

"I'm a God, I swear I am… you wouldn't even _know _that kid had a cleft pallet, it's gone – no scars, nothing…" he chews through that ridiculously shiny red apple and straddles a chair next to me.

Everybody momentarily sobers but then slips back into what they were doing with just a few scoffs and snickers. Addison shakes her head disappointedly. I just laugh _at _him.

"Well hello there Dr. Torres…" oh noo… "I believe we've met before, Mark Sloan, Plastics?" Mark extends his strapping arm across the table, offering it like Casanova to a piece of meat.

Callie takes the offending hand, "How can I forget?" she smiles a burnished smile with a glint in her eyes and glances toward me, then retracts her hand. _What the fuck? Does she like __**that**__!? _

Mark looks delighted, "Can I just say? "He leans toward her with a typical Mark smirk, "I can't tell you _how_ happy I am to be working with you" he winks with his gravelly perv-ey voice. _Oh Mark…_

Callie just raises her eyebrows curiously and chortles in return, "Oh-kay…"

"So, I hear, you and Arizona here –"he thrusts his arm around me and pulls me closer, "- know each other"

"Mark…" I say through gritted teeth and a huge uncomfortable smile.

Callie smiles and looks at me, "Well briefly - we did – but now we do…" I look into her eyes for the first time at lunch and I see something… I don't know what – but I do…

"Hey, you all wanna' go to Joe's for drinks tonight?" Addison announces at the table.

There is a disoriented chorus of yes's and headshakes.

"We could just tell Shepherd later, he's in surgery I think…" Owen adds.

"Whoopee… that means, Christina Yang and the 12 year old Grey get to join in as well…" Addison rolls her eyes. Now, I know she's over the whole Derek thing – I have a feeling she just doesn't like Meredith Grey in general…

"How about you Calliope?" I unsuccessfully try to squirm my way out of Mark's huge man arms, "You're coming too right?" I hope that didn't sound too eager.

I can feel Mark about to say something at her full name so I just stomp on his foot as precaution.

Callie just laughs a breathy awkward laugh as she quickly glances toward everyone at the table, everyone… _but me._ _What the heck?_

"Umm… I don –"she starts.

"No! You're coming! C'mon… you're the new girl you have to meet everyone!" Addison interrupts.

Callie laughs softly, she swallows, "Okay… bu – but you know? Just for a little bit… since –"

"Oh just say yes Callie…" I smile.

She looks at me and smiles a smile I can tell doesn't reach her eyes, "Yes… okay"

A shrieking beeping makes me jump up in my seat.

"Dammit…" I whisper under my breath as I pull the offending object off my waistband.

"Hey, that's me too –"Mark says, mimicking my action.

"Crap, Mark… it's… post-op from the accident…" I say, as we simultaneously get up and shoot quick acknowledging glances to our friends at the table.

I bite my tongue to stop from saying bye to Callie. _I want to, but wouldn't it seem weird? Like… why would I say it only to her?_

"Wipe off that drool Robbins…" Mark leans close enough to my ear for me to feel his breath on my cartilage as we begin walking from the table.

"What?" I shoot a confused glare at him.

"You know 'what' Blondie… the hot Ortho! Why didn't you tell me you knew her? She is WOWW! I told you, remember?" he says excitedly.

I gasp at the accusation and look around to see if anyone heard as we walk down the bustling cafeteria "I – we –sh – that wasn't – I didn't drool!" I slip into defense mode.

"Hey… I'm all for it. If you two got it on –"He smirks imaginatively, "- you'd put Madonna and Brittany to shame…"

I send him a warning glare as I narrow my eyes, "Suck it Mark…"

"No – I say, suck _that_!" He laughs and – "AHH!"

I stop dead in my tracks, I don't know what that noise was and I don't know why I gasped and I _definitely _don't know why the people around us went silent… until I feel the sting – on my ass – of a hand – _on my ass_.

The crowd just fires a few curious glances and awkward snickers our way but then go back about their own business.

I can positively feel my entire face about to combust with a sick mixture of mortification and pure ire – so I do what I know best – I smile the widest smile known to human-kind.

"Mark…" I say through a set jaw, "Get. Your. Paws. Off. My. Ass."

"What?" as oblivious as a husband on Valentine's Day, "Anyways, so, what's the deal with the Ortho? If you don't want her… I'm callin' dibs!"

It is probably a second, but it felt like the most embarrassing aeon of my life before we start walking again. I barely hear him; I _cannot _believe he just did _that _in front of an entire packed lunch-room.

"Shu_t_ up - Mark…" I enunciate in a deliberate tone trying to still my humiliation.

"Okay… but no Givsies Backsies Blondie…" he leans close.

_Mark Sloan just spanked me in front of the most beautiful, amazing woman I have ever met. Marvelous._

Maybe she didn't see. Yeah, yeah, it's pretty crowded in here… sh- she probably didn't see.

I decide to really subtly turn around.

A few people are still staring at us and laughing, the others have already forgotten.

Honestly, I think they are used to it… Seattle Grace Mercy West maybe a lot of things – but _appropriate_ is not one of them…

On top of that, everybody _knows_ Mark Sloan and as ashamed as I am to say this, yes, he has done it before – so it comes as a shock to nobody.

Nobody except apparently Callie, because I can see her, through the mob of people hovering over the cafeteria, at our table, she's just staring at us in shock… well shock or _what_… I can't exactly tell. I can see her wide eyes and set jaw, not quite the same shock as the other people here, but I'm assuming its shock nonetheless. I quickly glance at her, and if I didn't know any better I'd swear she just dropped her gaze as soon as she saw me.

_I really, really want to say bye to her…_

"C'mon Robbins! Hurry the hell up!" he grabs my arm and drags me along when our pagers start signaling again.

* * *

There are certain joys in life.

Smelling the roses, listening to the musical chirping of the birds, feeling the warm sun… and all that paraphernalia.

All that pales in comparison to getting off of your legs and stretching out in a dark, quiet room – lying down.

I'm experiencing that joy right now, may it be in the hospital sex bed, in the hospital sex room – the joy is still frickin' joyous.

I can feel my muscles melt into the lumpy mattress underneath me, the tension in my neck quickly dissipating; sleep begins to caress the corners of my mind before I know it.

I am _so_ tired; I really don't want to go to Joe's tonight. I just want to go home, take a shower and hibernate in my soft, comfy bed. I don't really know what it is, but there's no sleep like the sleep you get in your own bed.

Callie will be there though… what the hell was wrong with her at lunch? She was acting so weird.

*THUD**THUD*

"Open up Robbins!"

_What the hell…_ _you have got to be kidding me…_

I drag myself to the door and open it… _of course,_

"What do you want?" I squint, trying to adjust to the drastically bright light in the corridor.

"I wanna' use this room…"

"Well clearly, I'm using it! Go away Mark!" I say groggily.

He just pushes the door open and comes in, closing it behind him.

"C'mon Blondie! It's that hot Ortho chick!" he almost whines.

_What._

"Wh – what? What are you talking about?" I blink a couple of times to wake my drowsy brain.

"Yeah… I wanna' use this room –" he smirks, "- for her… she's waitin' outside, so get out" he signals toward the door behind him.

I don't think I heard him right. I can feel hot bile rise up in my throat and I have to swallow thickly to keep it down.

"Whoa, you okay there Robbins?" he supports my shoulder, but I just shrug him off.

"You – you're sleeping wit – Callie's sleeping with… _you?" _I don't even try to hide the hurt tremor in my voice.

"Wh –"

"Bu – but she's married!" I interrupt, voice slightly panicked. _She seemed so much more…_

"Hey, whoa slow down!" he grabs me both of his hands on either bicep.

I oblige, staring him right in the eye – which is why I find it surprising that my vision is a little bit clouded.

"Not her! The – that sexy Ortho nurse… Colleen?"

_Wha – did I hear him right? _

"Co – colleen?" I swallow, dropping me gaze; slightly embarrassed now.

_What the hell got into me?_

"Yeahh…" he drawls out, staring at me like I have three ears, "… jeez Robbins, anyways, so, get out."

I just stand there, my hazy brain still absorbing everything that happened in the last minute.

"Robbins! You had your chance with her! Now I want it too, so let's go!" he walks toward the door and opens it.

I don't know why but, I gratify.

We both walk out the door only to see nobody standing there.

"Dammit! She left!?" Mark complaints.

I try to fix my bed-hair as I finger comb through it, "Maybe… she got paged?" I offer with a hair-tie between my lips.

He just groans some inexplicable curse word.

"If it helps… Shirley in Derm. is _way _more flexible… I mean –"I tighten my ponytail, "- she can put _both _her legs over her head and… strong hands" I smile at a displeased Mark as we start walking toward the elevator.

I look up ahead and my mouth automatically curls into a smile, "Calliope…"

Had I looked before, I would have seen her watching me as I exited the On-Call room.

She's standing with a Carmine Louis Vuitton suede handbag strapped across her shoulder; a black woolen coat now on that hot grey dress. _She can pull off sexy in a paper bag for God's sake…_

"Hey…" she says in a strange high-pitch, repeatedly punching the elevator 'Down' button.

Mark, of course, looks enchanted to see her… and his debauch gaze trails down her body.

"Umm… Arizona –"she exhales,"- turns out, I don't think I'm gonna' be able to make it tonight" she says with a shifty gaze, not meeting mine.

"No! C'mon Callie… why not?" _Gee… nice job not seeming like a drooly, desperate teenager…_

"Well Alleg –" she starts before Mark interrupts her,

"Dr. Torres…" he says in a raspy whisper, leaning way _too _close to her for my liking.

She just stares at him, "It'll be _fun_…" he winks, "You can bet on it…" that smirk.

"Excuse me?" she furrows her eyebrows, looking at me expectantly.

"Mark!" I pronounce, "She's married…"

Callie's eyes seem to get wider in astonishment, "… And –" she looks back and forth from me to Mark, "- wh – am I missing something?" she seems genuinely perplexed now.

"Whaddaya' mean?" Mark examines her face curiously.

_I have to say, I agree with him on this…_

"Wel –" Callie looks at me, "She's standing right here!"

Mark and I just stare at her.

She laughs confoundedly, "Aren't you two –"she points between us, " – a – a thing?"

"What…?" Mark and I exclaim simultaneously.

_Is she serious?_

I can't control the irrepressible giggle which escapes my lips at the most absurd accusation I have ever heard, it merges with Mark's gruff laughter.

Callie, on the other hand, does not look amused.

"You – you –" I gasp, "- you think me and Mark!? Ew!"

"Hey!" Mark knits his eyebrows in genuine insult at me, "But no…" he turns to Callie, "The closest Blondie and I –" he gestures between us, "- got to _that…_ is sleeping with the same woman" he chuckles.

Callie's eyes widen, raising her eyebrows in a blend of intrigue and astonishment.

Callie looks at me for confirmation as she almost sheepishly tugs on her lower lip.

"This is true…" I show my dimples.

"Oh… I just –" she looks between us, "- I thought because of…" she trails off as the elevator signals it's presence.

All three of us walk into the elevator, Mark and I with huge, amused grins across our face.

Callie stands between us, somehow with an awkward vibe in the air.

I can't help but burst out in a fit of giggles at the thought, Mark assists.

"Oh shut up!" Callie whines irritably. _I can't help but notice how uh-dorable she looks…_

"Okay… okay… " I stifle the bubbling laughter, "I'm sorry…"

I can almost see her blush with embarrassment; it wasn't _that _big a deal…

We walk out the elevator without any pertinent dialogue when,

"Colleen!" Mark bellows through the lobby when he spots the slim brunette across the parking lot.

"I'll see you ladies later…" he winks as he paces out the automatic doors.

Callie can't help but succumb to the amused smile across her face now.

"Hey Robbins!" he turns around, "any tips?"

I just smile at him, "You know those Fritters? The ones with the strawberry jelly inside?"

He nods with a dirty smirk, "Knock yourself out…" I chuckle.

"I owe you one Blondie!" he jogs out the exit.

Callie and I just walk toward the doors; her face seems strangely relaxed now.

"Calliope?"

"Hmm?" she turns toward me.

"You're going home?" I ask, failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah… I'm going to change, take a shower and I'll see you at Joe's at around 9?" she asks casually.

"You're coming?" I ask with excited trepidation.

"Yeah…" she smiles simply.

"YAY!" _Okay… I need to cut down on the coffee… _

"Yay?" she chuckles.

"What?" I ask a little diffidently.

"Nothing –" she laughs, "You're just –" she shakes her head with one of the most breathtaking smiles I have ever seen.

"What?" I breath out, my gaze falls to her mouth… I don't know what she's going to say, but my heart begins to run anyways.

Her smile narrows in the slightest way as her eyes seem to absorb in my face, I can swear I feel the heat radiate off her body, I wonder if she can hear my chest beat, "I –" she shakes her head as if to wake up out of some reverie, "- nothing…" she swallows, dropping her gaze and starting toward the door abruptly, "See, ya'"

"Yea – yeah…" I knit my eyebrows.

**_What_**_ in hell was that?_

I can feel my palms sweat…

"I have to go home and shower and stuff too…" I add.

She just smiles halfheartedly at me as she walks out the door, but then turns around slowly, "Okay… then, bye…"

"Bye…" I smile… she is _really _beautiful.

Watching her right now, standing there in the moonlight. Her honey-colored skin glistening in the dark, that tingling smile, that _rich _unearthly blend of emotions painting her face, that wavy soft hair flowing with the air…

I _know. _

I don't want her as a one night stand, I don't want to turn her… I don't want anything but _all _of her.

"I'll see you tonight…" she says as she walks down the dark parking lot.

"Yeah…"

_Tonight…_

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading and sticking around. I hope you all let me know what you think, whether it is positive or negative, feedback is SO much appreciated and it makes me a better writer, so don't hold back. Reviews really the best form of encouragement… and if you can't review, it still means so much to me that you guys are reading and enjoying.

Anyways, I promise I'll try to update sooner this time. Let me know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

**Title: **Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona… with a light side of some others.

**Rating: **T - M

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters in it. All rights belong to ABC, the producers of Grey's Anatomy and Shonda Rhimes. I do not own any rights to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

**Made for entertainment purposes only.**

**A/N: **I know I'm a little, a lot late and I apologize. Your reviews were amazing as usual and they are my biggest inspiration. Hope you guys have stuck around, and I hope you enjoy this one.

* * *

Callie's POV

_Secrets._

Skeletons.

Closets.

They don't work.

You keep them hidden, shut, _clandestine_.

I didn't mean to.

I didn't _want _to.

I thought it was over, conquered, _done. _

I thought that chapter in my life had ended, because isn't that how it works? You go through something, it finishes, and that's that.

_No. It isn't._

On Allegra's fourth birthday, my aunt Nita, she gave her the original hard-cover publication of _'Once Upon A Marigold: By_ _Jean Ferris' _Circa 2002.

Allegra was too young to understand it, apparently my aunt thought she was turning 14… _she's a little bit senile…_

Anyways, I had never read the book – so I did.

Now, it may be just a speculative fairytale for 8 year olds, but there was this line in there, I'll never forget,

_"Secrets have a way of making themselves felt, even before you know there's a secret"_

I read it and I thought… damn, that Jean Ferris was onto something.

Secrets never _finish_. They live, they thrive inside of you… they lay dormant and then without warning… they make their presence known – _without warning._

No matter how big or small. They are there. You know it, and they know it. It's bad enough.

I have spent quite some time feeling my secrets; to the outside world, they may not even qualify… but to me?

They are restless skeletons in a frail closet.

They scratch my surface, when I laugh, when I dance, when I breathe.

Sometimes, that's all I think about… it shouldn't be… but it is.

Which is why I'm surprised, that right now? As I rummage through my literal walk-in closet… after so, _so _unbearably long – a different thought is ringing through my head…

_Arizona Robbins is gay._

This one makes my heart pace, my breath hitch, my stomach flip – _much like my secrets do_ – and yet, there's something different…

"Oooh! Wear that sparkly one!" a clad in her princess pajamas Allegra interrupts my thoughts from the middle of my wardrobe.

"No sweetie – I – oh the yellow one?" my fingers flick through the hangers.

"No…" she says with a ridiculing attitude only a 5 year old can muster "… the yellow one makes you look all chubby –"she hops off the soft stool and enters the row of hanging tops.

"Meanie!" I mock gasp but can't help but smile at my little girl trudging through my closet.

She just giggles, "You seem so happy today Mommy…" a genuine observation.

I turn to look at her, contemplating her words for a second, "Hmm… well I'm always happy spending time with you baby" I face the mirror again.

"Why are you all pretty tonight?" cue to her 20-questions.

"Well… I'm going out. Don't you like looking pretty when you go out?" I retort.

"Mmhmm…" she offhandedly responds; totally absorbed.

I love her. I love this. You know, when they say the joy of motherhood is the greatest gift of all… and it just sounds like a bunch of pretentious crap?

Well, I was raised around pretentious crap all my life; this is definitely not it.

I tighten the white strap of the bath-robe across my waist as I begin to look through my dresser for a light lip-gloss. I haven't worn anything but practiced, suitable-for-a-working lady matte lip-stick for so long; any other color barely registers to me.

Saying I'm a little bit nervous would be an understatement, I haven't been to a casual, low-pressure hang-out to a café, let alone a bar, in ages… so there is the occasional trepidation. But I'm also naturally vivacious in social situations – so there we go…

Also, I can't remember the last time I went to work and actually _wanted_ to go back the next day, and not just for the surgeries, but for the people too.

I liked the people at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital; I know it's only been a day, but, there was no judgment there and I _love _that, I'd almost forgotten how it felt.

On top of that, there is this lively, energetic thing going on in that place – I mean seriously, I did 4 surgeries today, and not one of them went by without someone screaming expletives through the gallery or hearing about who's condom broke – _it's fun._

Miami was gossipy too, I won't deny it, I think that's a requirement for all high-functioning medical facilities – but this place is warmer about it, almost _accepting_ to the point of "Been there, done that – don't wanna' go back".

So, above all the apprehension, I'm also really excited for tonight.

I _definitely _didn't think this is how my day would end, I woke up with a debilitating headache, threw up like 3 times owing to my hang-over and almost jumped off the roof when I remembered my previous night with Arizona.

_Arizona. _

I involuntarily sigh.

I _cannot _believe I got so upset over her sleeping with that Mark guy! I mean – no – I wasn't upset… _obviously_. Just – she could have told me! But I'm glad she isn't or hasn't, I mean… he seems a little man-whorey if you ask me…

Another sigh.

She can be a really good _friend._

I mean, I feel like I _want_ to spend time with her… there's this thing about her, this sparkleor something, I can't put my finger on it, but it feels almost… _safe, _I miss that feeling. It feltlike she wasn't there to laugh or point, or talk or judge. It felt like she _liked _being there and - I guess I like her being there too.

But then, I don't know – on one hand, I just want to – I – she's so… _comforting_; on the other? Being with her is just so damn disconcerting! I mean – _Uhgg… I wanna' pull my frickin' hair out _– she's just… she's a confusing _friend._

Also, _she's gay._

_And we're back to that._

"Okay, Mommy, final – the red, grey or Barney!" Allegra calls out from underneath what looks like a cyclone of fabric.

I still the brush in my hair and turn around, "Sweetie, that's burgundy –" I chortle walking toward her and sitting down next to the pile of clothes, "- and okay… let's clean this up and go downstairs –" I look up at the wall-clock, "- I have to get going and you and Daddy have a date tonight right?"

"YAHH! Me and Daddy! We are watching a TWO movies and – a – and then he's getting Rocky Road PLUS…" I couldn't comprehend the rest, just a lot of energetic shrieking.

Julian, for a change, was home tonight and more than a little excited to be spending his night with his favorite girl – Allegra. In spite of our phone book of marital problems, I can honestly say, he is a wonderful father… one of the best.

After I don't know how many minutes of my daughter prattling on about god-knows-what and me finally getting dressed and ready, I head down the stairs to find my husband setting up the DVD player with my daughter bouncing around him.

Allegra is a total Daddy's Girl sometimes…

"Callie…" he looks up with a broad smile and that glint in his eyes I once loved – or thought I did.

"Hey honey…" I reply like I always do heading toward my husband kneeling down on the Persian.

"Wow –"he looks me up and down, "- you look _very _nice…" he says with animated suggestiveness.

I can't help but chuckle, "Why, thank you Mr. Brady…" I smirk.

I hear Allegra bellow in laughter at the exchange.

I miss this playful banter, we still do it, when Allegra's around – and yet, it just feels awkward.

He stands up on his feet extending to his full 6'2'' frame. He comes closer, and brushes his lips against my cheek as one of his hands grazes my side, "You do look beautiful Callie…" he stares into my eyes, and I know he means it.

I smile and return the compliment with a quick peck on the lips. Before I can back away, he takes a step forward and presses his mouth against mine, his stubble scratching my face – one of his muscular arms wraps around my back, the virile sinew pressing against my chest, a strong hand softly squeezes the flesh of my waist, "You really, _really _do…" I can feel his raspy whisper against my lips, his gaeorgewood cologne making me dizzy… _not the good kind of dizzy._

Most women would die for Julian Brady to tell them they looked beautiful – because he looked it – he looked _beautiful_.

_Most women._

I step away, struggling to hold his gaze because I'm afraid if he looks into my eyes, he'll see it. He deserves to see it, and yet, for some reason, I feel guilty.

I break the stare, "Okay…" clearing my throat, "… the lasagna's –" I turn around and pace to the kitchen, "- the lasagna's on the top shelf in the fridge, Sylvie (our maid) can heat it up for you – if – if you need _anything_, you know where to find me –" I head toward the door, "- and no Rocky Road before dinner!"

I walk away too soon to see the disappointment etched across my husband's sculpted features.

With quick hugs and instructions, I'm out the door.

It feels new and _fresh_. I was never one for too much change… but I like this one.

I chose the sleeve-less _Barney _blouse with an Empire Waistline. It's casual, _and yet_, the amount of cleavage the very deep V-Neck shows _definitely _qualifies it for not-so-casual as well. I like the way the burgundy plays off my skin, plus the body-hugging silk doesn't hurt either. The leather jacket is just the cherry on top. Black jeans go on everything.

All in all, it's a very ordinary ensemble because from as much of Joe's as I can remember from last night? No use being too dressed up, I don't want to stand out, another reason as to why I asked the driver to drop me off a block away, I can walk.

_Bad, bad day to break out my five inch Louboutins…_

I'm glad there are people to spend time with outside of work here, they don't know me, nothing about me and so I _really _don't want my financial status coming into play – that's when they start looking at you differently - like what's mine isn't really _mine, _like the lives I saved were because of that shiny spoon I was born with… _that _feeling triggers something, it makes me feel _useless_. I have felt it for so long… until now… and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Except Arizona – I remember she dropped me off last night… she saw my house and yet, you wouldn't know it from how she was today. She's… I like having someone like her.

I'll buy her a drink to apologize for that.

_Arizona Robbins is gay._

_Here we go again…_

* * *

I can feel the gush of warm liquor-laced air wash over my body as I step into the bar – a noticeable change of temperature owing to the rather chilly air outside.

A few people turn to look at who caused the golden bell over the door to jingle.

Joe's feels familiar, I don't remember too much of it from last night for obvious reasons – but I definitely recognize the temperate bartender twirling colorful bottles in the air; the _smell_ is oddly familiar too.

I wave to a few recognizing smiles across the over-crowded liquid bar. The fast-paced soft-rock makes me want to shake my ass to the rhythm – _I'm badass that way…_

The colorful scrubs lining from neonatology to urology definitely make it difficult to find the group of people I'm looking for – this hospital probably pays for half the alcohol in this joint judging by how manydoctors I saw stagger out of here last night.

I proceed further into the chatty bar.

"Torres! HEY! Over here!" I spin around to face the source of that voice.

I can't help but grin at a beaming Mark Sloan waving his arm frantically in the air ushering me toward him – _there's something about him, in spite of that pervy exterior … I just like the man._

I almost eagerly make my way to the table; only tripping over a few feet once or twice.

"Heyyyy Callie!" I'm heartily greeted by an already tipsy Addison Montgomery heading toward the table from the opposite direction with four shot-glasses in her hands – _I love her outfit._

I see the neighboring table has the familiar group of "horny teenagers" (as Dr. Bailey likes to call them) from lunch this afternoon.

I'm received by a flock of heya's and waves and nods as I take a seat at the crowded table.

"Hey guys! Wow, this place is packed…!" I respond excitedly.

My eyes struggle to take in all the faces seated at our table over all the noise and the lights – _Crap. I really need to go out more often._

"So you made it…" Addison says, rolling a martini-drenched olive over her tongue. _It's distracting me…_

"Yeah… well –" I chuckle, "- my husband's home tonight… so ya' know…" I trail off.

In spite of not having the best observation skills right now, I manage to recognize everyone from today's lunch table sprawled around the round-table – yes - I recognize everyone here… everyone but the one person I find I _wanted _to _recognize _the most.

_She's not here…_

"Here you go" a buzzed Teddy Altman slides a yellow shot glass toward me.

"Ooooh… thanks" I chuckle, eyeing the tiny glass… _Hangover long forgotten._

_What the hell… she's the one who asked me to come… how can she bail?_

"What are you drinkin'? I'm gonna' go get a refill…" Mark interrupts, raising his empty glass of Scotch up in mid-air.

"Oh!" I widen my eyes, "Red for me…"

He smirks, "Right…" endorsing that signature suggestive tone.

_What the hell was even dirty about that?_

"Umm…" I turn to the slightly whirred red-head next to me, "… so how did your Vasopressin Infusion on that preemie go today?"

"Hmm… well baby's still in the NICU so –" _again with that damn olive…" _– you know? Things are still a little dicey"

"Well the Med. 201 Journal is a little focused on Ortho this year, but it had a singifi –"

"Sorry to interrupt, I'm Derek Shepherd… Neuro"

I look up to a man slightly rising from his chair across from me extending an arm. _I have to say… this hospital does have excellent taste in men._

"Oh – hey, wow…" I accept the offending hand with my trademark smile, "Callie Torres, Ortho. You're quiet the name back on the West Coast"

"Says the Cartilage Goddess – haha –"

I sit back down, "That's my ex-husband…" I feel someone hiss in my left ear.

I turn to see the very classy redhead downing another shot of – _the blue stuff… bad idea. _

"Oh… him?" I clear my throat raising my eyebrows, "Nice hair" I chuckle, sipping on the red wine that magically appeared before me.

"Yeah well… it's so over and done now –" she shakes her head dismissively, "– I met this vascular surgeon in LA last spring at the TED conference and..." I look at her and nod my head in acknowledgement, she continues saying stuff and it continues to bounce off of the fake smile plastered on to my face, I'm really good at those – _Courtesy: Hubby._

In reality, all I'm saying is – I could just ask Teddy once… right? Why Arizona isn't here yet… I mean they both seemed like they were friends. I don't want to ask Mark for some reason – honestly, it's not like I care that much – it's just that – I – I mean she said she would come!

Well okay… I admit it, I wanted to see her – but – what's so bad about that? She's my friend and I also had to apologize for last night! Yeah! That was the main aim of wanting to see her. Plus, she's my friend, and – even if she wasn't – she's the one who asked me to come in the first place so it's just common etiquette to be present!

"… and so… Umm – I got pregnant and in my hormonal rage went all Hannibal Lector on the baby daddy… Yum…"

"Wow – wow… that's… interesting" I narrow my eyes in profound understanding, sipping on my drink.

"WOW…" she chuckles, bobbing an eyebrow, "… so... who is it?"

"Hmm – what?" _Did she say something? _I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

She puts her drink down manneredly, leaning closer, a suspicious sneer spreading across her face, "Callie –" she says throatily as though she's reading through me like ink through thin air, "- Who're you waiting for?"

I almost choke on my wine, "Wha- What!" I chuckle breathily, "Nobody! What!?" _Smooth as silk…_

She smiles this Cheshire cat smile, "Hmm… " she leans back, gaze locked on mine enough for me to know that this conversation isn't over yet. A rather cross call from one General Surgeon causes her to turn around, "Excuse me for a sec kay'? Miranda –" she points to the other side of the table – _that _knowing smirk still across her pretty face.

I just smile uneasily, showing a vague nod 'yes' as she slithers to the other side of the round-table.

_Shit._

I duck my head sheepishly into my wine, lacing it with another round of apple vodka; cringey.

_I wasn't waiting for her! Just – I owed her a drink…_

I have a debilitating urge to throw my head in my palms and let out an exasperated, guttural sigh.

_Whatever… I'm just gonna' ask her…_

"Hey Teddy!" I call out to the woman sitting diagonal to me. She doesn't hear me, "Dr. Altman!" I raise my voice. I'm interrupting an intense discussion between her and a pretty green-eyed boy, but I find I really don't give a damn, whether it's the light drone clouding my judgment or what… I don't know.

"Yeah, sorry – "she turns toward me, "- Uhgg… Jackson Avery –" she makes a guttural noise taking a tired swig of her beer, "Anyways… what's up?"

I try to ignore a particularly nosy Mark Sloan suspiciously eyeing me from between us, I lean forward, "Umm… Arizona?" shooting a cursory glance across the table making sure Addison doesn't hear me, "Isn'tshecoming?" I finish my wine in one quick swallow; struggling to appear cooler than I feel.

"Umm…" Teddy knits her eyebrows, "I think… she got caught in surgery or something – she went home –"

_Oh._

"Oh" I respond; another shot.

Teddy looks toward the door and then back to me, "I guess, she'll be here soon though, she texted me about 10 minutes ago saying she started – so…" she shrugs, finishing her Budweiser.

_Ohh…_

"Dr. Torres, might I say… you look beautiful on this fine night…" Mark Sloan's gruff vaguely charmed voice grazes my ear.

I turn and raise an eyebrow, the chortle bubbles out my throat before I know it, "Dr. Sloan… didn't you have prior engagements tonight? With…" I lean closer, dropping my voice an octave or two, "… Jelly filled fritters…"

His leer momentarily falling, "Well… that didn't –"

"GREY! GET OFF OF THAT TABLE RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone unanimously turns to a fuming Dr. Bailey unceremoniously yelling at somebody across the bar.

I follow their line of sight… only to meet a thin dirty-blonde grinding against the Asian wild-haired Cardio-thoracic prodigy with an almost empty cylindrical bottle in her hand.

_I honestly don't know what to say._

"WHY!" the grinning, obviously drunk woman retorts.

The doctor apparently known as the Nazi – _I can now see why –_ paces toward the felonious table. We vaguely here her say something about a 'Bowel resection', 'Four hours' followed by a very passionate "Damn foo'"

That doesn't scurr the two women though… oh no… the only thing it does is causes the dirty-blonde to step forward rather confidently off the table into thin air – _Ouch._

_Wait… is __**that **__Ellis Grey's daughter? No…_

The gasps and snickers are all mellowed by the bellowing merriment of Christina Yang pointing to the woman lying on the floor. I vaguely catch the gorgeous-haired Neuro God and G.I. Joe race to help the women while everybody just goes back to doing their own thing.

"And that…" Addison leans close, "… is the wife"

I can't control my laughter now.

_This hospital… I swear…_

"Hey… what did I miss?"

I whirl around in my chair to face that voice… _I think I just cracked my neck._

"HEY!" I feel like someone shoved a hanger in my mouth – _Cant. Stop. Smiling._

"Robbins… c'mon over –" Mark says, patting the chair between us.

She offers _that _smile and a few perky 'hi's' across the table.

I feel a little bit giddy all of a sudden. _I guess alcohol's finally getting to me._

"Hi…" she smiles at me, stepping forward so that the entire length of her entire body comes into view.

_Ohhh…_

I've never really seen anybody pull off an over-sized sweater that way. I suppose the navy blue helps, you know? Since it brings out her eyes… a lot… _seriously_… they are all glittery and blue.

The steep rise of that woolen fabric along her chest definitely highlights her curves too – _not that I __**looked**__ looked at her curves – duh…_

Plus that blonde hair… it's really pretty… and shiny and soft – like her skin – well, I imagine, I _imagine_… it would be soft. I can't help but notice the way those wavy locks lay on her shoulders, scattered… clinging onto that knitted cloth; the contrast between the dark blue and golden is really, _really… poetic._

My gaze trails lower… the _very _tight, worn-out jeans tucked into knee-high black leather boots make her legs look really, _really _shapely… _just an observation._

"Hey…" my own voice sounds alien to me. I want to look away because looking at her is making me feel uncomfortable; now I have to force that smile.

She laughs, "You okay Callie?"

Another dip into my goblet, I stare at her over the rim of my glass, "Hmm? Yea – yeah wicked –" _Wait, what…_

She widens her eyes in amusement… _Yup, I said it. For realzz…_

"Wicked…" she repeats with a ridiculously wide beam as though testing the word on her tongue, "Huh?" cocking her head to the side.

She raises her eyebrows curiously, "You're wi –"

"Wicked, yes –" I complete, attempting to straighten up, "- Like umm… groovy, trippy - jive turkey…?" _I may be having a small seizure._

I swear she bit the inside of her lip to stop from laughing, then she knits her eyebrows, "You… are, umm… a _jive_ turkey, Dr. Torres?" she pronounces deliberately.

My eyes widen involuntarily and I'm sure it looks like I got caught in a rouge spray-tan for too long.

_I'm a wicked jive turkey. Naturally._

I attempt to pull out the last dying remnants of my diminishing confidence, "Yes. I'm – I'm a _jive _turkey - Dr. Robbins…" _I can almost hear it now: page psych STAT._

She seems to consider it for a moment, then she steps forward with an impish twinkle in those eyes, playfully trouncing her bag against my knees, "Then scoot over Calliope…" she says through that toothy grin.

Ozzie Osborne's 'Crazy Train' roaring on the stereo becomes increasingly apparent to my ears – _damn 80's night…_

Despite the weird tachycardia I should talk to my cardiologist about, I manage to hold her stare all the while maintaining a light smirk, I oblige – _scooting _over.

_I'm actively going to choose to think about this little psychotic episode sometime that is __**not**__ now._

She doesn't break eye-contact; I've only known her for a couple of days, but I already learnt that about her - she doesn't like to accept defeat, to back down…

Mark leaning forward and whispering something in Arizona's ear breaks me out of my trance, mostly because that cheeky smile across her face is replaced with a bashful one as she dips her eyes_. Wait… what did he say…?_

Mark just looks very pleased with himself.

Arizona sits between Mark and I, the Plastic Surgeon's sneer consistently pointed to the blonde, "Mark –" she says through that ever-present smile, shooting him a sideways glance, "- how about you make yourself useful and go get me a drink"

He towers to his height with that leer painted across his face and a rascally gleam in those eyes, "Sure…"

"White wine" she looks up to him.

He looks at me and grins deliberately, then disappears into the crowd.

She turns around to face me, "Hey…" showing her dimples.

_I'm just going to pretend my little mouth diarrhea thing didn't actually occur until she and/or anyone else says otherwise._

"Hey –?" I raise my eyebrows amusedly, widening my smile, "- I thought you weren't going to show…"

"Yeah, I'm sorry –" she tucks a loose lock of hair behind her ear, "- surgery ran longer than expected and – and the only part of my body that I _have_ scrubbed since yesterday morning… are my hands – for surgery - so I was determined to go home, take a shower and _at least_ look reasonably human for tonight –" she chuckles sheepishly.

I run the tip of my finger along the rim of my glass, "Hmm… well –" I snicker, "- mission accomplished. You look great"

"Yeah – look who's talking –"she clears her throat "- I didn't peg you for the leather wearing type Calliope" I can feel a strange bolt course through my middle as I see her eyes examine my body – umm… my _outfit_.

"Mhmm… and I cook too – I'm full of all sorts of surprises" I say with animated playfulness.

She laughs thoughtfully, "Hmm… somehow, I believe that"

"In all seriousness –"I sober, "- aren't you tired though? You've been on your feet for almost what? 36 hours now…?"

She opens her mouth to reply but I interrupt, showing my palm to stop her,

"Actually! –" I interject, "- correction: You've been on –" I snicker, "- what the hell are those Arizona?" _I had to ask._

"They are –" she widens her eyes defensively, "- they are what make a good, super-_efficient _medical professional!" sipping her wine.

"Oh puhh-leez!" I knit my eye-brows, "_Super?_" I mock, "Efficient medical professional? More like super-efficient Ortho patient! Do you know how many kids I see _every _single week cause' of those –Those roller-skates or - or whatever…"

"Heelys! Heelys! That is the appropriate term and you – Calliope – happen to be _very _wrong… they are perfectly safe and only require a little bit of practice…" she says with animated caution, that smile not leaving her face.

"Oh right, Heelys' –" I scoff, taking a small sip, "- that's what Allegra has been asking for every living minute!"

"And rightfully so –" she ever-so-slightly sticks her chin up, uncannily reminding me of my 5 year old daughter, "- you have a _very _insightful daughter Calliope…"

"Mhmm… and I'm going to take a wild guess here and say you consider yourself – _insightful –_ Am I warm?"

"Why, of course you are – you're scorching hot –" she starts to say something else before our eyes meet and we both break out into the most awkward giggles in the history of the most awkward giggles when we realize what she said.

"Why, thank you Dr. Robbins" I say animatedly with a slight smirk.

Clearing her throat, she widens her smile – not sure how genuine it is though, "So… anyways… how's your headache?"

Glancing around our table, everyone seems to be engrossed in their own world, "It's better…" I laugh, signaling to my wine.

"Mm… well –"

"Hello ladies…" Mark slides into his pre-occupied chair pushing another glass of crisp white wine toward Arizona.

Arizona turns to Mark, "Thanks –" she turns to me, then knits her eyebrows in confusion and turns back to him, "- hey, how are you here? What happened with Colleen?"

He sheepishly looks at the golden liquid in his glass then back up to Arizona, "Let's just say…she –"he clears his throat, "- she switched teams"

I feel like an awkward benchwarmer.

"She what?" Arizona's confusion morphs into an amused giggle, "Are you serious?"

"Okay Robbins… I get it, you worked your little hand magic to flip her over to the dark side…" he shifts in his chair dismissively, ego-intact "… let's just move on, shall we?" he says through her laughter.

_Hand magic?_

"Hand magic?" Teddy joins in out of nowhere, "Sorry, but are you guys talking about that thing Dr. Larson did with the running whip stitch on the Transmyocardial Revascularization this morning!?" _Oooh gurrrl, you are so off._

Mark and Arizona momentarily turn to the tipsy cardio-surgeon slipping into a chair lining the table.

"No – we're talking about that thing Blondie did with the hot Ortho nurse to make her swipe pineapple cans in bulk from Costco every weekend" he laughs into his drink.

_Oh my gosh…_

"MARK!" Arizona gasps in genuine mortification.

"What…?" he smirks, giving her a sideways glance, "I personally enjoy pineapple – Dr. Robbins do –"

"I have no idea what any of those words mean" Teddy deadpans; interrupting whatever the inappropriate plastic surgeon was about to say.

"Dr. Torres…" he turns to me with a debauch leer, "… do you enjoy pineapple, I know Dr. Robbins does?"

"MARK!" Arizona fists him in a burly bicep, then turns to me, "Oh m – Callie, you don't have to answer that" she takes the biggest swallow of her wine I've ever seen her take, topping it off again. Saying she's embarrassed would be an understatement.

I'm just stunned.

"Kay…" I vaguely mumble into my almost empty glass; my palms irrationally clammy.

_Does Arizona enjoy pineapples? WHAA-!? Why would I even think about that!?_

"Anybody wanna' fill me in? This conversation would be a hella' lot funner if I knew what a pineapple is a euphemism for…" a clueless Teddy interjects the gracelessness of the air.

Mark, the gentleman that he is, "It's not so much a euphemism as something that makes you taste swe –"

"SPONGEBOB!" Arizona yelps, snapping her head from her glass.

_Now… I'm officially drunk enough…_

"I'm lost –" Teddy starts.

"He – h – he's SpongeBob! He's my, it was my favorite cartoon when – um… as a kid – me and my brother –" she drawls in a voice perkier than usual, "- we loved it, he's awesome" she stops abruptly; the slight slurring of her words tells me she's a little bit buzzed.

"Your brother?" I chuckle at her adorableness – I mean – her babbling.

"No" she snaps her head to me and I swear I saw her smile falter, "SpongeBob is awesome…"

"Ari –"

"So is my brother…" she ducks her head, swallows, then looks up almost longingly, "He's awesome too"

_What just happened?_

Something just changed in the air, it's not awkwardness or anything, but something shifted.

"And – he lives in a pineapple" Mark obviously didn't get the memo.

"What." Arizona barks in a scarily cool tone.

Mark just looks around the table questioningly and then back to Arizona, "SpongeBob – he lives in a pineapple –" he sobers, " - you okay' Robbins?" first time I saw genuine concern in his voice.

Her expression takes a minute to mold into the warmth it usually displays,

"Of – of course –" she grabs a lone shot of 'the blue stuff' and spontaneously gulps it, "- I'm sorry Mark" she says through what sounds like a bout of Whooping Cough.

"Whoa – you okay?" Teddy slides a glass of Chardonnay her way, "Here – wash it down"

"Arizona?" I rub my hand along her back.

"I'm –" she coughs "- I'm good – " cough "- that stuff is just _really _bad" she attempts to laugh.

I can virtually see everyone release a soft sigh of relief at her talking, but her cough persists.

"It's only for the likes of Meredith Grey and Christina Yang –" Mark attempts to lighten the mood, pushing a few tissues her way.

My hand is still on the small of her back, the texture of the sweater is so soft and thin – thin enough for me to feel the temperature of her flesh.

I don't want to take my hand off, I have a strong urge to slip it a few millimeters lower, just a little,

"Callie?"

"Huh!?" my neck snaps up to meet her, "What?'

"I'm good now…" she knits her eyebrows, her soft smile making a reappearance.

_Oh right. Fuck._

I sheepishly take my hand back. My cheeks are heating up for some reason.

I barely even noticed that she finished her fresh glass of Chardonnay – I haven't seen her drink like that – _ever. _I mean, I know I just got to know her a few days ago, but some people just strike you a certain way – and she never struck me as the drinking type.

"Anyways, I think I'm going to call it a night –" Arizona looks at her wrist-watch, gathering her things.

_Wait. She's leaving…?_

What the hell?

"Whoa!" Teddy swallows a mouthful of something, "You're leaving already?"

"Well, it's pretty late and – and half the people are gone –"she flippantly glances around the dwindling group, "- I need to sleep –" she sighs with a tired smile, words still slurry.

"It's only 11:30…" Mark knits his eyebrows.

Arizona looks at him, "Yeah, well Mark some of us actually have stuff to do" She snaps.

I have never seen that expression on her face.

"Umm…" Mark softens, "… okay, I'm sorry" Teddy just shakes her head to signal Mark to stop talking.

"No –" Arizona breathes shaking her head, she rubs her temple and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, "- I'm sorry Mark I – that was out of line…" she closes her eyes, then opens them, "- I'm just tired, I'll see you tomorrow?" she smiles.

Something is not right with her; her eyes are all distant and watery.

"Sure…" he whispers huskily.

I don't want her to go – no, actually, I _can't_ let her go alone.

"Arizona, wait –" my voice is shakily nervous for some reason, and I don't think anybody on the table heard me.

She gets up and wobbles on her feet, "Arizona –" I pronounce more prominently, getting up and putting a steadying arm on her forearm, "- I'll come"

"Callie – that's really not necessary – " she starts tiredly, "- I'll just get a cab an –"

"I'll come" I say in a way that holds no room for discussion.

Had I been able to take my eyes off of a dangerously weary Arizona, I'd have seen the curious glances between Teddy and Mark.

Arizona just shrugs her hand out of my hold and starts walking toward the door – _this woman – _I have an unbearable urge to snort at her passive aggressiveness.

I turn to Mark and Teddy, "I'll see you guys tomorrow" I smile.

Arizona disappears through the front door and I attempt to follow her through the mob of drunkards before I feel someone grab my forearm.

"What the –"

I'm interrupted by the hot – _wait, hot? – _Redheaded OB leaning dangerously close to my face with a persistent smirk, "Callie –" she says throatily, "- I guess you're not waiting anymore…" she winks.

_I don't know what she's talking about – okay… maybe I do – but I'm not going to think about that right now._

I just smile uneasily at Addison before practically galloping through the stained glass exit.

The cool air hits me with drastic vengeance the moment I step on the pavement, "Arizona?"

I look around.

"Arizona?" a little louder.

_I'll kill her if she left without telling me!_

"Calliope" I hear a faint whisper.

I turn to find the blonde leaning against the mucky cement wall of the bar. Her arms are folded across her chest and she strangely reminds me of a toddler lost in the park; a strange heaviness settles in my chest.

"C'mon – I'll drop you home…" I smile warmly, stepping toward the woman.

There's a soft shadow playing across the left side of her face and the other side has a little yellow tinge from the street-lamp. She's lightly bouncing against the surface – clearly not hiding her inebriation.

"You really don't ha – have to come with me…" the uncanny vulnerability in her voice threatens to make me pull her into my arms.

"Then… what are you doing here?" I say softly, "Why didn't you just leave?"

She seems to contemplate genuinely, "Well –" her voice sounds so innocent, "- I was waiting for you…"

I can't help but chuckle – she is _really _adorable.

"Okay – let's go –"I step forward and grab her hand, jerking her forward causing her to lose balance and slam into me.

_Oh God…_

Her soft body presses into mine, arms wrapping around my neck for support as though her life depended on it.

I could have sworn I heard a soft sigh escape from her mouth as her face digs into the crook of my neck – _I've never felt inertia so physically before…_

Her smooth skin grazing against my jugular causes me to slip my arms along the sides of her hips – umm… to steady her – _obviously._

I was right… her hair is just as soft as her skin – it smells like Citrus… Citrus and Vanilla.

Her soft, warm curves wrapped in that knitted cloth makes me realize how… _feminine… _she is. My arms move along the small of her back – tighter, almost _protective_.

Oh… she smells _so _good.

It's so cold - I wouldn't want her to be cold… _I don't know why and I'm not about to analyze it right now._

She looks so secure… _almost_… as secure as I feel holding – _um… supporting_ – her; At least until the moment I realize her ample, _soft _breasts are pressing into mine, they feel so… I feel… I can feel this unnerving pull in the pit of my belly.

_This is weird… I need to step back… _

"Arizona…" I whisper shakily into her hair.

She doesn't move.

"Arizona?" a little louder – my arms slinked around her waist.

"Hmm…" she hums into my shoulder.

"What happened?"

"I – I wanna' go home… Calliope – and –" she swallows, "- I don't want you to come with me…"

"But Ar –"

"Please …" she pleads in this high-pitched, nasal voice; I can't identify it, but it makes my heart break nonetheless.

My hand moves up on its own accord, up to lightly stroke the ends of her hair.

"I really don't think you should go home alone… Arizona" I exhale.

She merely swallows and digs her head deeper into my neck, "I –" barely a whisper, "- I miss my brother…"

"Oh…" I didn't expect that, I don't know what to say, plus my slight buzz is making it difficult to find words, "… well mayb – maybe you can call him or – or you know? Visit an –"

"Stop"

I don't think I heard her.

"What?"

"He's dead" a simple statement, enough to make my heart stop; never heard her so void of emotion before – _and… I want to slap myself in the face now._

I swear I felt moist lips press against my collar bone – but I can't be sure because she steps back so abruptly.

I duck my head to meet her dropped gaze, her expression is unidentifiable but I can see her breath in the cold.

"Can I please come… Arizona?" my voice sounds so small it startles me.

She slowly looks up to me, her blue eyes an oceanic navy now, she smiles hauntingly, "No… just –"she breathes in, "- not tonight, okay Calliope? I'm sorry…"

Something tells me this isn't up for discussion anymore. I just look at her.

She licks her lips, "I'll be fine… I will – I promise" she says softly.

Do I really have a choice but to believe her?

Her unexpected chuckling disconcerts me, "What…" I get out.

She shakes her head, "We really have to stop hanging out like this Calliope…"

"Like what?" I narrow my eyes in muddle.

She raises her eyebrows, "Drunk and crying… we're such sad friends"

My lips turn into a slight smile, "You're crying?"

She sobers, then swallows consciously, "No… Calliope"almost defensive.

"Why do you do that?" I ask, wrapping my arms around my torso as a shield from the cool breeze.

"Do what?"

"Call me… _that_" I decide to change the subject.

She raises her eyebrows inquiringly, then smiles with recognition, "Why don't you stop me?"

_Why don't I?_

I just shrug in the "IDK" way… breaking eye-contact.

She steps forward, alerting my senses, "I took Lit. as an extra in high-school…"

I just scrunch up my brow baffled.

"Literature, we had a to do a paper –" she exhales, "- on poetry, well actually on Greek Mythology –" she shrugs, "- and – _Calliope _– means the Goddess of music and beauty and poetry…"

I think my breath just got caught in my throat.

"So… I do it – I call you that – _Calliope _– because you are… beautiful" she says so honorably it physically makes my chest ache, "And it's a beautiful name… you should be proud"

I feel a strange lump in my throat; _nobody… _has ever said something _that _honestly to me… ever.

"I like how you say it –" I clear my throat, "- I don't stop you… because I like the way you say it Arizona…" I confess – and I know it's true… the moment I say it.

We just stand on the pavement, face-to-face under the glow of the street-light.

Something shifts.

I can see her eyes glistening in the dark… her creamy skin strangely conspicuous.

She's beautiful.

"So…" she shakes her head abruptly, "… next time – we have fun –" as though breaking out of the trance, "Enough of the doom and gloom…"

I smile uneasily, "Umm… yea – yeah –" I laugh lifelessly, "- next time…"

"That's my cue" she points behind me.

I turn to see her enter a yellow cab, "I'll see you at work Calliope…" she says softly, as though to avoid disturbing the tranquil environment.

I wave goodbye as the taxi drives away.

_I really can't deal with these feelings right now…_

I run my hand through my hair.

_What the fuck is going on._

The loud ringing of my cell phone interrupts my inner-battle.

"Hello?" I answer hurriedly.

"Callie?" _I know that voice._

Suddenly, I feel panic set in – wh – why would he be calling right now?

"Julian? Wha – what is it? Is it Allegra? What's wrong –"

"Whoa… hey… breathe honey" his voice actually calms my incoherent pace down the sidewalk, "I just called to ask how it was going, that's all… Allegra went down after her second bowl of Rocky Road –" he chuckles.

"Oh… I'm –" I try to gather my thoughts, "- I'm great, I –" I swallow, "- I'm actually on my way back…"

"Okay, just call Joseph to bring the car around – take care babe, see you soon" he does care.

"Yeah… yeah, I will"

"Good and –"

"I love you" I interrupt, immediately flinching – _old habits die hard._

"I love you too…" I can actually hear the smile in his voice.

I hang up.

As I walk down the street to where my car is parked, I realize my thighs are moist, strangely moist… I need to change my panties.

I'll think about that tomorrow – _Jesus, it sounds like I'm ranting Gone with the Wind._

There have been many nights, dawns, evenings, mornings when I didn't feel like going home to my husband… tonight is one of them.

But there's something different about tonight… because for the first time… I know who I _feel _like going home to.

It's unsettling… almost as unsettling as those _restless _skeletons in my _frail _closet.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm going to try and avoid being a big, fat liar this time and _genuinely _update soon, say in a couple of weeks? How does that sound? Last time, there was too much stuff going on in my life – plus the dwindling inspiration from my muse for obvious reasons :'(

Side note: I still believe Callie& Arizona are MFEO – just puttin' it out there.

PS: Dying for episode 8 and _especially _episode 9!

PPS: Leave a review. Let me know where I can improve, what you liked and what you didn't, I'm all ears.


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